


Bubblegum

by raiseyourpinky



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Eddie Kaspbrak Lives, First Kiss, First Time, Fix-It, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Love Confessions, M/M, POV Richie Tozier, Post-Canon Fix-It, Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:55:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24914992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raiseyourpinky/pseuds/raiseyourpinky
Summary: Richie saves Eddie's life during their final encounter with Pennywise, which gives Eddie a new perspective in life, feeling like he's been given a second chance. When they part ways after that, Richie thinks he'll never see Eddie again, until he unexpectedly shows up at his house, wanting to take vacation. Now Richie has to deal with the new Eddie who isn't afraid to try new things and leave all his fears behind, as well as his own feelings buried away since their childhood.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 9
Kudos: 91





	Bubblegum

**Author's Note:**

> I had the best time working on this story. It's my very first time writing about these characters. I love Richie and Eddie with all my heart. I just had to save Eddie's life. It had to be done.

The deadlights had trapped him.

Richie was released from them, but he could still see their intoxicating brightness. He wasn’t sure where he was, or what he was doing. Nothing made sense anymore. 

But then he heard a familiar voice nearby, calling out to him.

“Rich! Hey, Rich! Ahh. Rich. Hey, Rich! Wake up, hey! Yeah, yeah, there he is! Buddy, hey, Richie, listen I think I got him, man. I think I killed it. _I did!_ I think I killed it for re—”

Richie’s body reacted before his brain did. He saw It, angry and ready for vengeance, charging towards Eddie. Before one of the sharp claws reached him, he pushed Eddie aside with all his strength, sending him flying off somewhere a few feet away. Richie rolled away too, not wanting to be It’s second choice for a victim.

While It was still pierced down—was that what Eddie had been blabbering about?—he went to find Eddie where he’d landed. Eddie was crouched down in pain, holding onto his right arm. Oh shit, had Richie hurt him?

“Hey, Eds, are you okay? Are you hurt?” Richie bent down right in front of him, looking over his shoulder to make sure there were no other sharp claws coming at them. The others seemed to be distracting It, giving them some time. But not a lot.

“Yes, I’m hurt! Fuck.” Eddie groaned, lifting up his right arm, which was severely broken. Oh hell. Richie remembered the last time this happened. It wasn’t pretty. “You broke my fucking arm, you fucking twat.”

Richie laughed. Eddie would be fine. A broken arm was better than the alternative. He shuddered just thinking about what might have happened had he not reacted so quickly. “You can sue me later. We gotta go.” Richie offered his hand.

With his left hand, Eddie grabbed onto Richie and let himself be pulled to his feet.

They still had to kill this fucking clown.

*

Richie couldn’t get out of that awful place fast enough. But he made sure everyone was out before he could breathe again. He counted to make sure there were six of them, including himself. _1\. Beverly. 2. Eddie. 3. Bill. 4. Mike. 5. Ben. 6. Me. Okay. We’re all here. We made it out in one piece._

Well, Eddie’s arm was still in pieces, but that was a minor casualty.

Richie didn’t let himself think about how last time they got out of the well house, there had been seven of them. 

The house self-destructed behind them, and they all stood to watch it crumble.

“It’s over,” Mike said. 

“It’s fucking over,” Bill said, a smile growing.

Ben laughed, but it was a shaky laugh. “I can’t believe we did it.”

“I always knew we could,” Beverly said.

Richie looked over at Eddie, who was holding his gruesome-looking arm. “Hey, Eds, thanks for saving me back there.”

Eddie glanced back at Richie. The fear was still clear in his eyes. He’d been so close. All of them had been so close. “You saved me too.”

“We should get you to a hospital,” Bill said to Eddie.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” Eddie said.

“You sure you don’t want me to pop the bone back into place?” Richie asked.

“Don’t you fucking dare,” Eddie said through clenched teeth. 

Grinning, Richie nodded. “Alright. But you know I’m good at it.”

“Guys, come on,” Beverly said. “Can we stop with the bickering until we’re at least five miles away from this place?”

Richie was fine with that.

*

The six of them looked like they’d gone to hell and back at the hospital waiting room. In many ways, they had.

The least they deserved was a shower.

“You guys don’t have to wait here,” Richie told them. “I’ll stick around and call you when Eddie comes out.”

“Are you kicking us out?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, you all stink,” Richie said.

Bill scrunched his nose. “I thought one of us had stepped in dog shit.”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Go home. We’ve all done enough. We get to rest up now.”

That was all it took to convince them. One by one, they said goodbye before heading out into the light of day. It was way too sunny. Richie had never been this glad to be annoyed by something so ordinary.

*

Eddie came out a short while later with a cast on his arm. It was almost like seeing the smaller version of him from what felt like a lifetime ago. The big frown on his face made it even better. Same old Eddie. It was like no time had passed. In many ways, it had felt that way since he saw him again.

“Where the hell is everybody?” Eddie asked.

“I sent them away,” Richie said, walking with him to the exit. “Doctor said you were good?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said quietly. “I guess this is the part where you and I part ways.”

Richie furrowed his brow, looking back at Eddie. “Why would we do that?”

Eddie opened the hospital door with his good arm, holding it open for Richie. They continued walking. Richie had called a cab because he’d left his car at the hotel. It was already there waiting for them. Richie opened up the back door and, this time, he held it open for Eddie. 

Richie told the cab driver to take them back to the Derry Townhouse, and then he settled back beside Eddie in awkward silence.

It was true. Richie knew it was true. The two of them had to go their own way now. Eddie lived in New York, and Richie had his life in Beverly Hills. But he wanted to believe in something different. In a different reality, where goodbyes didn’t exist for them anymore. Not indefinitely. Shorter goodbyes were fine. Goodbyes that lasted a few hours. Goodbyes that promised they’d see each other in the afternoon. Goodbyes that were bearable.

Eddie was looking out the window in silence. He hadn’t said another word. Richie knew they should talk about it. Their time was running out, after all.

“Are you excited to get back home to your wife?” Richie asked. It was the only thing he could think of at the moment. Eddie’s wife. 

Eddie hummed, still looking out the window. “Not really.”

Not the answer he’d been expecting. “Why not?”

Eddie chuckled, but there was nothing funny about it. “I almost died, Rich. We almost died.” Eddie finally turned to face him, and his eyes were filled with the same fear from earlier. Richie knew that fear would probably never completely leave his eyes. “And in that entire time, all I could think of was ‘am I even happy’? I couldn’t think of a single remarkable thing I’ve done in my entire life. At least, nothing that didn’t involve the Losers.” Eddie shook his head. “It feels like I’ve been wasting my life in a terrible marriage with a woman I don’t love, being too afraid to do anything exciting. That’s just no way to live, Rich.”

Richie smiled. He couldn’t help it.

“Why the hell are you smiling?” Eddie asked. “This isn’t funny, man.”

“I’m smiling because I feel the same way, Eds. The exact same fucking way.”

“Oh,” Eddie said. “I didn’t know that.”

“That’s because I’ve never told anyone before.”

Eddie sighed. “Me neither.”

“Well, your secret is safe with me.”

*

Everyone was waiting for them when they got back to the hotel.

Richie had already pictured them long gone, but apparently they weren’t going to leave without signing Eddie’s cast. Eddie fought them off at first, claiming that he was too old to have his cast signed, but it didn’t take too much convincing.

“Alright, fine, just don’t write anything mean,” Eddie said, staring back at Richie.

Richie raised his hands. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” And he actually meant it. Richie was just relieved to see Eddie alive and well that he didn’t really have it in him to tease him at the moment.

Bill signed it first. “There you go. Now you can sell it on Ebay.”

Eddie scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

As odd as that sounded, Bill was probably right. He was famous enough that some poor sucker would want to own Eddie’s stinky cast signed by Bill Denbrough. 

“I’m sorry it’s your right arm again,” Beverly said after signing the cast.

Mike went next. “You did good back there, you know.”

Eddie nodded, but he didn’t look like he believed him.

“Have a fun summer, don’t ever change,” Ben said, smiling.

Eddie rolled his eyes. Then he turned to Richie, raising his eyebrows. “You’re up.”

Richie took the Sharpie from Ben and stepped closer to Eddie, gently holding onto his cast and angling it just right. He wrote: _Thank you for saving my life, Eddie Spaghetti_.

When Eddie read it, he looked back at Richie, his lips parted like he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. Richie clapped his shoulder and squeezed it, the corner of his lips twisting slightly.

*

It was time for goodbyes.

After sharing a few hugs and tears, Richie lingered near Eddie. He had volunteered himself to drive Eddie to the airport. Richie wished he could be on the same flight as Eddie and walk him all the way to his front door, but they weren’t headed in the same direction.

The drive to the airport was quiet. Eddie turned up the volume on the radio and he was humming along to a slow song Richie didn’t recognize. There were so many things Richie wanted to say to Eddie. So many unspoken things that Richie had kept inside over the years. Things that Richie had held onto since they were kids, years and years ago.

But neither of them spoke. Maybe it was for the better. The time they had together wouldn’t be enough to make up for all the lost time. Maybe this was the way things were meant to be.

At the airport, Richie walked Eddie to his gate, setting down Eddie’s humongous bags on the floor. Eddie was gulping down a water bottle like he hadn’t had a drink in weeks.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to drink water that fast,” Richie said, but then Eddie’s water bottle was empty, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Yeah, I know,” Eddie said. “You’d think I’d be more careful. Afraid, even. But I’m not, Rich. You wanna know why? Cause I’m a new man. That’s right. You’re looking at Eddie 2.0. And this Eddie isn’t scared of every little thing.”

Richie grinned. “Oh, really?”

“Really.” Eddie tossed the empty bottle away. “This is my second chance to live my life the way I want to, Rich.”

Richie dug his hands into his hoodie. “Well, good for you. I’m glad that terrible experience gave you a new perspective.”

“Oh, it did, my friend. It did.”

“I’m gonna miss you,” Richie blurted out. He just said it. It was the truth. It had to be said.

Eddie playfully punched Richie with his good hand. “You have my number now. Maybe don’t be a stranger.”

Richie knew that nothing would really change. This new and improved Eddie wouldn’t really change. He had his entire life in New York. He had a wife. He had a job. He had a hell of a lot of anxiety. Those things wouldn’t just go away. And Richie would probably never see or hear from him again. But right now, none of that mattered. “Of course not. I’ll call you, Eds.”

“You better,” Eddie said.

*

When Richie got home, he sighed into his empty condo.

Beverly Hills was beautiful, expensive, and so lonely. Richie felt that loneliness as soon as he stepped into his living room. Sure, his place was nice, and it was full of fancy furniture and memorabilia. But it had never seemed so foreign to him. This felt less like a home than Derry had, and wasn’t that a scary thought.

But Derry had felt like home because of one thing: his friends. The town itself could go to hell.

Sighing, Richie grabbed a beer from the fridge and went to his balcony. He couldn’t help but think of Eddie. He wondered what he was doing now that he was back home. Probably recovering from the shit trip they’d all just taken. Richie wished they didn’t live so far from each other. But he shouldn’t dwell on these things. He was tired too. Exhausted, actually. Mentally and physically.

Richie finished his beer and headed straight to bed. 

*

Being on the road helped.

Richie went on a three-month live comedy tour. All of his shows were sold out. People loved him. That was what his manager kept telling him. That people loved him. He was comedy gold. One of the best comedians of the decade. 

Richie tried to believe that. Maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t believe it. Maybe he just didn’t care. So what? People liked him. People that didn’t really know him liked him. At the end of the day, though, Richie went home alone. And he had no one to share these things with. 

Many times, Richie considered calling Eddie. After all, Eddie had given him his number, and had even asked him to call. But Richie had never been brave enough to go through with it. Eddie hadn’t called him either. So maybe he hadn’t really wanted to stay in touch.

None of that mattered, anyway.

Richie was back home from a long tour, and he didn’t make it past the living room couch. He threw his feet up, an arm over his eyes, and breathed.

That was when his phone rang.

“Damn it,” Richie muttered, digging the stupid thing out from his pocket. He thought about smashing it against a wall, but then he blinked, staring at the screen. No way. No fucking way. “Hello?”

“Didn’t I tell you to not be a stranger, Rich?”

Richie sat up, smiling so wide it hurt. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Eds?”

“I heard your tour went well.”

“Hmm. Yeah. I just got home actually. I’m beat.”

“Must be tough telling jokes all day.”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Don’t be a dick. That’s my job.”

Eddie chuckled. “Hey, listen, I was calling to see if you’d be okay with me paying you a visit for a few days?”

“What?” Richie wasn’t sure he’d heard right. “What?” he asked again.

“Yeah, a visit. Ever heard of it? It would involve me flying to California and staying at your place. I need a vacation.”

“You wanna take a vacation...with me?”

“Why are you making it sound like I just told you aliens have invaded the planet?” 

He might as well have.

Richie adjusted his glasses. “When are you coming?”

“Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow? “Are you serious?”

“Deadly. I already have my ticket. I figured I should act first, beg forgiveness later.”

Richie laughed. This was insane. He hadn’t even finished processing what Eddie had just said. All he knew was that Eddie was coming to his place. Tomorrow. Oh God. The place was filthy. He didn’t bother cleaning it before he left. “Uh, okay, well text me when your plane lands so I can pick you up at the airport.”

“Sounds good. And Rich?”

“Yeah?”

“I can’t wait to see your stupid face again.”

“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get sick of seeing it real quick.”

*

Richie didn’t wait too long for Eddie at the airport.

Within ten minutes, Richie spotted Eddie among the crowds. The minute their eyes met, Richie broke into the biggest grin of his life. And Eddie returned it. Richie’s heart raced, leaning back on his heels, wiping his sweaty palms on his pants. God, he was nervous. Eddie had this effect on him.

“Eddie Spaghetti,” Richie said.

Like in a perfect movie, Eddie abandoned his rolling suitcase behind as he ran up to Richie’s arms. Richie hadn’t been expecting that at all. He hadn’t been expecting for Eddie to bury his face in his neck, squeezing him tightly. He wasn’t wearing a cast on his arm anymore. 

“Hey,” Eddie whispered near his ear.

“You’re here,” Richie said.

“I’m here,” Eddie said. He moved back slightly, holding Richie by the shoulders. “You look good, Rich.”

Richie messed up Eddie’s hair. “You need a haircut.”

Eddie slapped his hand away. “I’m letting my hair grow. By this time next year, I’ll be Rapunzel.”

Richie laughed. It wasn’t even funny, but he couldn’t help laughing. Eddie was here. “Let me get your bag.” Richie went to grab Eddie’s bag, which was huge. Richie wondered how long Eddie was planning on staying. But he didn’t wanna think of Eddie leaving. Not yet.

They drove back to Richie’s place catching up on the last few months. After a while, Richie realized he was monopolizing the conversation just sharing stories about his tour. In another time, Richie might have wanted all the attention on him, but not now, not with Eddie. Richie wanted to know about Eddie’s life. The things he liked to do and the things he didn’t. Eddie always had some crazy conspiracy theory he couldn’t shut up about.

“What’s going on with you, huh?” Richie asked. “You haven’t said much.”

Eddie chuckled nervously, his leg bouncing on the seat. “There’s not much to say, Rich. I got my cast off, got a divorce, and now I’m in Beverly Hills visiting you.”

“You what?” Richie nearly crashed into the car in front of him on the highway, hitting the brakes last minute. He couldn’t have possibly heard right. “You got divorced? From your wife?”

“Who else would I have divorced, dumbass?”

Richie had so many questions, but he just went with a simple, “Why?” 

Eddie shrugged. “I don’t know. I think I realized I wasn’t happy with the way my life was going. I almost died, Rich. I wanna do something meaningful with my life now. I feel like I got a second chance.”

“You were serious about that bullshit?”

“Hey, it’s not bullshit.” Eddie punched Richie’s arm playfully. “I’m serious about this. I’m a new Eddie.”

Richie got off the highway and stopped at a red light. He turned to look at Eddie, then he made a face and pointed at his cheek. “Oh no, what’s that thing growing on your face?”

“WHAT?” Eddie snapped, pulling down the car mirror to inspect his cheek. When he realized there was nothing, he glared at Richie. “Not cool, Rich.”

Richie laughed. “So not everything has changed.”

“It’s an ongoing process.”

“So, how does it feel to be single again?”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “I don’t know. I’ve never been good at dating, so I’ll probably stay single for the rest of my life. But you know what? I’m okay with that. Better single than married to someone I can’t stand, right?”

Richie shrugged, pressing his foot on the gas when the light turned green. “As long as you’re happy, I guess.”

“As long as I’m happy,” Eddie repeated.

*

While Eddie got unpacked in Richie’s guest room, Richie ordered them some pizza. Pepperoni and green peppers, their favorite. Richie still couldn’t believe that Eddie was in his condo, that he’d be sleeping in the room beside him, that he had flown all the way here to spend time with him. Richie still hadn’t processed the news that Eddie had gotten a divorce and had left his old life behind. He didn’t know what to do about any of it. Did it mean anything, or was Richie reading too much into it?

Richie shook his head. Of course it didn’t mean anything. Eddie just needed a vacation, and he’d probably wanted to come to California for a long time, so Richie was the easiest choice. Besides, Eddie wasn’t here long term. He was on vacation. For a week or two, at most. And then, Richie probably wouldn’t hear from Eddie again. Which would be okay. It had to be okay.

Eddie joined Richie on the couch, grabbing the remote control and turning on the TV. “You wanna see a movie?”

“Uh, yeah sure,” Richie said, slipping out of his shoes and setting his feet on the coffee table. Eddie used to hate that because he said dirty feet should never touch a surface that would be used for drinks and/or food. But Richie had to give it to Eddie when he, too, slipped out of his shoes and set his feet on the table. Richie smiled at him. “I ordered pizza.”

“Pepperoni and green peppers?”

“You know it.”

Eddie smiled. “This is nice, isn’t it? The two of us back together without the threat of a killer clown hanging over our shoulders.”

“Well, when you put it that way,” Richie sighed. “You want a beer?”

“Yes, please. What should we watch?”

“I’m sick of horror movies,” Richie said, heading to the fridge for the beers.

“Me too. How about a comedy? Ohh, _Mrs. Doubtfire_.”

Richie returned to the couch and handed a beer to Eddie. “Who doesn’t love a classic? Put it on.”

Eddie sipped his beer and put the movie on. He looked...happy. Genuinely happy.

Richie sipped his beer too, trying not to think too hard about what _that_ meant.

*

They spent the day stuffing their faces with pizza and marathoning Robin Williams’s greatest hits. It was just like old times, sort of. Sure, they were a lot older now, but they still knew each other better than anyone else knew them. Being with Eddie felt so natural, like this is where Richie should always be, right beside him. But Richie knew he shouldn’t let himself get so comfortable with Eddie’s company. It wasn’t permanent.

“Why do you get all quiet and pensive every once in a while?” Eddie asked, sipping his third or fourth beer.

Richie took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. “I’m just tired. How are you not tired? You had a long flight today and you still look like you have enough energy to go for a middle of the night run.”

Eddie laughed. “Hey, that actually sounds kinda fun.”

“What does?”

“Going for a run. Right now. Wanna come?”

Richie checked the time on his phone. “Dude, it’s after midnight. You seriously wanna go for a run right now?”

“Hell yeah, I do. Come with me. It’ll be fun. I’ll race you. After, you’ll be so tired you’ll have the best sleep of your life.”

Was he seriously considering this? How could Richie say no to Eddie? It just wasn’t possible. He’d always gone along with all of Eddie’s ideas. Even if he put up a fight at first.

“What the hell. Let’s go.”

Eddie grinned. “It’s gonna be so great.”

*

It was so not great.

Richie was sweating from head to toes. There wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t sweating. And it was fall, and chilly. The only good thing about all the sweat was that it was protecting him from the cold.

Eddie kept trying to race him, but he ran much faster than Richie. God, he could be annoying. But then, every time he threw his hands up in the air and yelled “Whoo! Beat you again!” Richie couldn’t help but smile. Stupid Eddie. There wasn’t anything he did that wasn’t sort of adorable. That had never changed over the years.

“Slow down,” Richie called out as he came to a slower pace. His hands were on his hips as he controlled his heavy breathing.

Eddie did slow down, walking over to Richie so they could walk together. Eddie clapped Richie on the shoulder. “How was that? Did you have fun?”

“I definitely felt something. I think I’m too old for midnight runs.”

“Nonsense. We’re both at a great age for midnight runs. Feel that breeze. Don’t you love that breeze on your sweaty face?”

Richie snorted. “You really are Eddie 2.0, aren’t you?”

“In some ways. In others, I’m still the same old Eddie you know and love.”

 _You have no idea_ , Richie thought.

“Do you have any plans tomorrow?” Eddie asked after a short moment of silence.

“No.”

“Now you do. We’re going to the beach.”

“What? Why?”

“Because this is a vacation! We gotta do vacation things together.”

“But there’s sand everywhere and it gets in places where sand should never be.”

Eddie laughed. “Okay, One: that’s gross, and Two: you’re coming.”

Of course he was. Richie sighed. “Alright fine. We’re going to the beach.”

Eddie threw an arm around Richie’s shoulders. “I knew you’d cave.”

“Shut up.”

“My sweaty, sweaty friend. God, you’re sweaty.”

“Bite me.”

“No thanks. You’re too sweaty for that.”

Richie tried very hard to hide his smile.

*

The next day, Eddie surprised him with an actual picnic basket full of food.

“Where’d you even get a picnic basket?” Richie asked.

“I went out and bought one before you woke up,” Eddie said, dipping strawberries in chocolate. “I took your car. Go get ready. We’re leaving soon.”

“I just woke up like ten minutes ago.”

“It’s not my fault you woke up at almost 1:00pm. Come on. It’s beach day.”

Richie groaned. “If you hadn’t kept me up so late last night maybe I’d have more energy today.”

“Quit whining, you whiner.”

Richie flipped him off, heading back to his bedroom to get ready. Once he was all dressed and ready to go, Eddie rushed them out the door, making him carry the picnic basket. Eddie decided to drive. It was strange how comfortable he was driving in a city he’d never visited before. Eddie was confident in all things he did, which was also kinda strange. But Richie liked seeing Eddie this way. 

“Wait, are you wearing my shorts?” Richie asked as Eddie made a right turn.

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t bring anything but pants with me.”

“Is that my shirt too?”

Eddie chuckled. “Yep. Thanks, by the way.”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Sure, go ahead, what’s mine is yours.”

“Aw, Rich, you make me feel all tingly inside.”

Richie shoved Eddie’s head aside. “Shut up.”

When they made it to the beach, Eddie spread out a couple of towels over the sand and pulled out a bottle of sunscreen. Richie sat down on one of the towels, already hating the heat. The sun was being way too...loud. 

“You brought sunscreen?” Richie asked.

Eddie looked at him. “Do you wanna get skin cancer?”

“Same old Eddie.”

“Yeah, well, Eddie 2.0 still doesn’t wanna get skin cancer. Take off your shirt so I can rub this on your back.”

Richie narrowed his eyes at him, wondering what the hell kinda fantasy he’d stepped in. “What?” It was all he could think of saying.

“Come on, don’t be weird. I’ll rub this on you, you rub it on me.”

“Um. Alright then.” Still unsure whether this was reality or not, Richie slipped out of his shirt and turned his back to Eddie. He heard the squirting of the sunscreen before he felt Eddie’s hands on his shoulder blades. Eddie’s soft hands moved meticulously over his back, covering every part. Richie did his best to keep his breathing even, and not get overly excited. He didn’t want to have to explain to Eddie why this was so monumental for him. 

“Have you been working out?” Eddie asked, and Richie could hear the smile in his voice.

“Shut up.”

“I’m serious. You’re in good shape. I didn’t think the comedian lifestyle left a lot of time to work out. Maybe we should work out together sometime. You could show me your routine.”

“My routine consists of eating junk food and napping on my couch.”

“That I can do.” Eddie squeezed Richie’s shoulders. “Now it’s my turn.”

Richie turned around to find a shirtless Eddie waiting to get sunscreen rubbed all over him. With a deep sigh, Richie did his best to keep things friendly. This was done for safety reasons, not as some sort of seduction method. But Eddie’s back felt so nice in his hands. His skin was tan and warm and soft and Richie had never been happier. _Dear God, Rich, you gotta be cool about this. All you’re doing is rubbing sunscreen on your friend’s back. No big deal._

“You’re really good at this,” Eddie said, leaning back on his hands. He looked so comfortable. This clearly wasn’t affecting him like it was affecting Richie.

“Thanks. I’ve been training all my life for this very moment.”

“Well, it’s really paid off.”

“I think you’re done.” Richie quickly removed his hands and wiped them on his shorts. 

Eddie turned around to face him, giving him a bright smile. “Are you hungry?”

Oh, right. Richie hadn’t eaten anything since he woke up so late today. “I’m starving. What’d you bring?”

“I brought an entire banquet for the two of us.”

And he wasn’t kidding. There was a lot of food in that basket. Sub sandwiches, assorted cookies, grapes, chocolate covered strawberries, trail mix, pretzels, watermelon slices, and juice boxes. Just like the good old days. 

“Well, this is really thoughtful of you, Eddie Spaghetti. What gives?”

“Shut up and eat.” Eddie shoved a strawberry in Richie’s mouth, grinning ear to ear.

So they ate. At the beach. The sound of waves splashing against the shore was straight out of a relaxation app. Except, this was real. They were out on a nice, sunny day at the beach, having a picnic. If Richie didn’t know any better, he’d say they were having a date. Of course, that couldn’t be the case. They were friends. They’d always be friends.

“You know, I never asked if you were seeing anyone,” Eddie said, sipping his juice box. How did he make sipping a juice box look so good?

“Oh, I guess I should have told you about my fiancee.”

Eddie’s eyes went so wide it looked comical. The straw popped out of his open mouth. He was holding his breath. 

Richie smirked. “I was sure your mom would have told you about our engagement by now. Kinda awkward that you had to find out this way.”

Relieved, Eddie breathed again, and then he punched Richie’s arm. Hard. “Fuck you, you fucker. I almost believed you were really engaged to someone. Don’t you fucking scare me like that.”

Richie threw his head back in laughter. “Why is it so scary to you knowing I’m engaged? Maybe it’ll happen one day. Who knows.” Not with a woman, though.

“Yeah, right. I can’t picture you settling down with anyone. When was your last serious relationship, anyway?”

Richie narrowed his eyes. “Define serious.”

“See, that’s what I’m talking about.”

This was not a conversation Richie wanted to have with anyone, much less Eddie. “I think we should go for a swim.”

“No way, man. We just ate. We can’t go swimming right now.”

Richie raised his eyebrows. “What happened to Eddie 2.0? Not so brave anymore?”

Eddie took a deep breath. “You know what? Fuck it. Let’s go. Come on. Let’s go swimming.” Eddie grabbed Richie’s hand and yanked him to his feet, pulling him all the way to the water. 

The water was surprisingly warm. When Eddie stopped walking once the water hit his knees, Richie pulled him the rest of the way until they were both completely submerged. The waves were coming at them fast, and they had to learn to navigate them between the laughter bubbling out of both of them. Richie felt thirteen again, back in the barrens with the Losers. Eddie’s smile was the same, and his eyes, as they looked back at him, spoke volumes of what he was feeling too. 

For the first time in a long time, Richie thought they would be okay.

*

When they got home from the beach, they took turns taking long showers to get rid of all the sand that definitely got into all the wrong places. Then they ordered in Chinese food for dinner since Richie’s fridge was completely empty.

They ended up playing Monopoly as they ate. Richie was kicking Eddie’s ass. 

“I hope you don’t have any plans tomorrow because we need to go shopping,” Eddie said, rolling the dice and getting six.

“Stop trying to distract me,” Richie said. “Wait, why do we need to go shopping?”

“You have no groceries,” Eddie said, like it was obvious. “How do you live like this?”

“Just fine, thanks. But we can get some groceries if it’ll get you to stop bugging me.”

Eddie smiled. “I also saw an antique shop nearby, and a farmer’s market. We’ll make a day of it.”

Richie groaned. “You want me to spend an entire day shopping?”

“Do you have anything better to do?”

No. “Fuck you, man. I could have a hot date or something.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, right.”

“Why’s that so hard to believe? I have a lot of fans. I could date one of them if I wanted to. Probably.” Not that he wanted to.

“Okay, well if you happen to find yourself a so-called hot date, we can postpone our shopping day. Somehow I doubt that’ll happen between now and tomorrow.”

Richie hated it when Eddie was right. “I’m not waking up before noon.”

“Whatever you say, man.”

*

Richie was rudely woken up at 9:00am by the sound of 80’s music playing loudly from the living room. When he went out to investigate, he found Eddie following an aerobics routine on the TV to the obnoxious music. Richie couldn’t even be mad because the sight was just too good. Eddie was a disaster, never doing any of the moves correctly, but he was enthusiastic about it. 

“Staring is creepy,” Eddie said. “Come join me.”

“In your dreams.”

“Oh, come on!”

Richie rolled his eyes, but he stepped closer and started trying to follow whatever the hell the lady in neon clothes was doing on the TV. Neither of them were very good at it, but it was kinda fun. If only just because Richie got to see Eddie trying so hard to get all the steps right.

“Better than midnight runs, right?” Eddie asked.

“If you ever tell anyone about this, you’re dead.”

Eddie grinned. “You’re a great dancer, Rich. Your fans would love a video of this.”

“Don’t you fucking dare, you fucker.”

Eddie threw his head back in laughter. He stopped dancing and turned to Richie. “Now that you’re up, we can head to the farmer’s market early.”

“You planned this whole thing, didn’t you?”

“Me? I would never.”

“I fucking hate you.”

“Yeah, love you too, babe.”

Richie got ready, and they went out for a long day of shopping. Eddie was like a child at a theme park when they got to the farmer’s market. He stocked up on everything. When they found a woodshop stand, Eddie bought a big wooden sculpture of a cat. 

“This would look great on your living room by the front door,” Eddie said. Then he bought a plant. “This would look great on your balcony.”

“Why the hell are you buying stuff for my place?” Richie asked after Eddie picked out a painting that he claimed would look great above his TV.

“Because your place looks so generic,” Eddie said. “You need more unique pieces to make it more lively. Just leave it to me. I’ll make it pop.”

Who the fuck was this Eddie and what had he done with his childhood best friend?

But Richie let Eddie do whatever he wanted. And Eddie made it his job to decorate Richie’s place with a whole bunch of crap. It wasn’t bad at all, actually. Eddie had good taste, and he was right about Richie’s place, it had been too generic. Richie had never given much thought to decorating his place. He’d just bought whatever was expensive, thinking it was the best stuff available. But Eddie was proving that theory wrong.

“Do you like it?” Eddie asked when he finished hanging up the last painting.

“Yeah, I really do,” Richie said.

“Good. Go wash your hands so you can help me make dinner.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Why do we have to cook? We can order delivery.”

“I know we can, but we just bought a whole lot of groceries and I intend to cook with them.”

Richie groaned. “Why do I have to help?”

“Because I don’t like cooking alone,” Eddie admitted. He looked a little shy, like he’d just given a sin confession to a priest. “Myra never cooked. I had to cook alone all the time, for her. It ruined the entire process. But I’m taking this back. I’m making you my cooking partner from now on.”

Richie hated knowing how miserable Eddie had been. If he could make things better for Eddie, then he would. No matter what he had to do to achieve that. “I’ll be your assistant, Gordon Ramsay.”

Eddie smiled. “Perfect.”

That was how Richie ended up wearing matching purple aprons with Eddie as they cooked chicken and rice. Cooking wasn’t as tedious and annoying as Richie had always thought when Eddie was the one giving all the instructions while letting him taste as they went. Richie’s kitchen smelled like an actual restaurant for the first time ever.

“You’re really good at this, Eds,” Richie said, chopping up lettuce.

“Thank you. I’ve spent a lot of free time reading cookbooks. And before you make some comment about how depressing that sounds, it’s really not. I loved it.”

Richie grinned. “Alright, whatever floats your boat.”

The mention of boats floating made Richie and Eddie share a wide-eyed glance that made for a tense moment. Wrong thing to say.

Richie cleared his throat. “Have you talked to the others?”

“Uh, a little. Beverly called two weeks ago. She’s living the life. With Ben.”

“Really? Bev and Ben? Huh, I guess I should’ve seen that one coming.”

“Yeah, they make a good couple. I always thought Bill had a thing for her, though.”

Richie laughed. “Are you kidding? Bill totally had a thing for her. But I guess it wasn’t meant to happen between them. It’s kinda nice seeing two of us getting all coupled up, isn’t it?”

“You think?”

“I mean, just cause we have all that history. Kind of a solid foundation.”

“You mean, a killer clown coming after us is grounds for romance?” Eddie asked, incredulous. “What the hell are you on, Rich?”

“I’m just saying,” Richie said, though the topic was hitting way too close to home. “Whatever. Let’s just finish up. I’m hungry.”

They continued working in silence, though it was a bit charged this time. And then, Eddie broke the silence.

“You didn’t have a crush on Bev too, did you?”

Richie snorted. “Oh, no. She was definitely not my type. At all.”

“What, a beautiful girl isn’t your type?” Eddie stopped seasoning the food to face Richie.

“Why the fuck am I being interrogated for not crushing on one of my childhood best friends?” Richie raised his voice without meaning to.

Eddie blinked. “Did you have a crush on one of your other childhood best friends...by any chance?”

“No!” Richie yelled. After a beat, he asked, “Did _you_?”

Eddie sputtered. “What? That’s—hah—that’s nonsense. What? No! No. Okay, no. That’s just ridiculous. What a silly—that’s just silly. No, it’s nuts. You are being nutty, my friend.”

Richie had seen Eddie nervous countless times. Eddie’s constant mood was being nervous. But this was different. Eddie was flustered right now. And blushing. Yeah, he was blushing. What an interesting turn of events. So, Eddie, at one point, had formed a little crush on one of the Losers. The question was, which one? Could it have been Beverly as well? If it wasn’t Beverly, then it had to be Stanley. But that opened up a whole other can of worms. Eddie had had a crush on a guy. Meaning, Eddie wasn’t as straight as Richie thought. Very interesting.

“Okay, so you didn’t have a crush on anyone as a kid,” Richie said. “I believe you.”

Eddie was still blushing as he looked away, without saying anything else.

*

The next day, Eddie dragged Richie to a theme park. Apparently, today’s task was riding a rollercoaster. Eddie had never been brave enough to ride one before, but he was convinced today was the day. Richie had never been a fan of rollercoasters. They shook him up a lot, but achieved nothing. Where was the fun in that?

But Eddie wanted to do this, so Richie was going to do it with him.

“Are you sure you still want to do this?” Richie asked as they waited in line. It was their turn next, but they had enough time to back out.

Eddie was nervous. He’d been biting his nails for the past fifteen minutes. But he also seemed convinced on the idea of riding a rollercoaster. “I’m sure.”

“You know you have nothing to prove to anyone, much less me,” Richie said.

“I’m not doing this for you, you self-centered asshole,” Eddie said. “I’m doing this for me.”

“Okay, brave guy. We’re up.”

The employee led them through to the rollercoaster. Eddie moved confidently all the way to the front, and they sat there side by side. Hurridley, Eddie buckled up, making sure it was done correctly. By now, he was sweating. God, Eddie was so scared, but he was fighting through his fear. Richie truly admired him.

“It’s really not that bad,” Richie said. “It’s over before you know it.”

“I’m gonna need to hold your hand,” Eddie said.

Richie thought he was joking at first, but then he saw that Eddie had left his hand palm up in between them, so Richie put his hand over his, and they laced their fingers. Then, the rollercoaster started moving.

Eddie squeezed Richie’s hand tight enough that it made Richie squeal in pain and surprise. “Oh God, oh God, oh God.”

The rollercoaster moved slowly up, the moment before the big dip approaching.

“You okay?” Richie asked.

“Do I fucking look okay?” Eddie was hyperventilating.

“Go easy with my hand. If you break it, I’ll break your arm again.”

“So not the moment for jo—”

Before Eddie could finish his sentence, the rollercoaster dropped, sending them flying down in full speed. Eddie let out a big yelp, followed by a loud shriek, never letting go of Richie’s hand. Richie couldn’t help but laugh at Eddie’s earnest expressions. He was absolutely done with this from the moment they dropped. But then, Eddie stopped with all the yelling and started laughing, too. 

Then it was over.

As soon as they slowed down, Eddie looked more than relieved. And maybe also a little proud of himself for conquering one of his lifelong fears.

“Did you like that?” Richie asked.

“Yeah, it was great. I’m never doing that again.”

“Fair enough.”

Eddie didn’t let go of Richie’s hand until they were about twenty feet from the rollercoaster. 

*

Richie got a phone call while he and Eddie were watching _Schitt’s Creek_ on TV. But as soon as he saw Chris’s name on the screen, he panicked. What the fuck did he want right now?

“Uh, I’ll be right back,” Richie told Eddie, heading out to the balcony and closing the door behind him. He answered with a, “What do you want?”

“That’s not a nice way to greet old lovers,” Chris said in his annoyingly smooth voice. It was like butter. Richie hated it. 

“We had a thing, like, a year ago, Chris. Why do you keep calling me?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I miss you?”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Look, I’m a little busy right now.”

“I’ll make it quick then. I’m throwing a party at my place this Saturday, and you’re my guest of honor.”

Richie snorted. “You must really have no friends.”

“Come on, be civil. I want to see you. It starts at 8:00pm, but you can come whenever. Don’t let me down.”

“I can’t make any promises. I have a lot going on right now.”

Chris hummed. “I’ll see you soon. Take care of yourself. I know you tend to forget how important self-care is, darling.”

Richie groaned, hanging up. When he returned to the couch, Eddie stared at him. “What?”

“Who was that?” Eddie asked. 

“It was no one.”

Eddie didn’t look away. “No, seriously. Who was that?”

Richie sighed. “Just an old...friend. He called to invite me to a party this Saturday. It’s stupid.”

“A party? I’d like to go to a party.”

Richie shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t. You’ve always hated parties.”

Eddie smiled. “I’m a changed man, remember?”

“Forget it, Eds. We’re not going.”

“I think we are.”

“Why are you so damn stubborn?”

“It’s in my nature. We gotta go to this party, Rich. It’ll be fun. We can sneak off somewhere with food and alcohol so we don’t have to socialize.”

“I don’t think you get how parties work, but I like your thinking.”

“So we’re going.”

Richie knew he had no choice. “We’re going.”

*

Chris lived in the most extravagant mansion Richie had ever been in. As a celebrity attorney, Chris was particularly wealthy. Richie had initially been attracted to Chris’s charm and wit, but when he saw how rich he was he felt a bit intimidated. They still dated for about four months before Richie pulled away before things got too serious. It was what he did every single time. 

Richie knew he probably shouldn’t have come to Chris’s party, much less with a guest, but Eddie was the only reason he was here. Maybe having Eddie by his side would send Chris the message that Richie didn’t want to get back together with him.

They were greeted by Chris’s butler, which was absolutely ridiculous to even think about. Who had a butler nowadays?

Eddie gaped at everything, tapping Richie on the arm as he pointed out all the crazy paintings and sculptures filling up the entryway. Richie had never liked any of it. 

They rounded the corner into the ballroom, because Chris had a ballroom in his fucking house. There were so many people that blending in would be easy. Richie just hoped they could blend in enough to not be seen by Chris. 

Of course, Richie wasn’t so fortunate. 

Chris spotted him right away, and he approached him with a glass of champagne. “Hello, darling. I’m so happy you decided to come.” He leaned in for a kiss on the cheek that landed way too close to Richie’s lips. 

Richie leaned away, hoping Eddie hadn’t caught that. “Hi, Chris. This is Eddie.”

Eddie offered a hand. After a moment of staring, Chris shook his hand. “How do you know Richie?”

Chris cleared his throat, looking from Eddie to Richie, a smirk twisting his mouth. “He didn’t tell you? Well, I’m appalled.”

Eddie furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Richie. “Tell me what?”

“He and I were—”

“Are you thirsty?” Richie asked Eddie. “Why don’t we get you a drink?” Before anyone could protest, Richie pulled Eddie away, anywhere. 

Eddie looked over his shoulders to where Chris was standing. “Why didn’t you let him finish? Rich, what was he going to say?”

Richie shoved his own glass of champagne at Eddie. “You can have my drink.”

“Rich, talk to me. What’s going on?”

It felt like the walls were closing in on Richie, and he couldn’t breathe. Richie looked for the nearest exit, and he found a set of glass doors, so he walked directly towards them. He pushed them open, and found himself in a garden. Richie went to sit by the fountain, burying his head in his hands. This had been such a terrible, terrible idea. 

“Rich?”

Richie jumped. It was only Eddie. He looked worried as he came to sit beside him. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

Richie breathed. “This was such a terrible, terrible idea.”

“Yeah, if I had known Chris was your ex, I wouldn’t have pressured you into coming to his party. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Richie looked at him, his jaw dropped all the way down. “How? How do you know?”

Eddie smiled, but it was sweet and not teasing at all. “It’s kind of obvious, babe. I can put two and two together. Were you freaking out back there because you were worried I’d find out that he was your ex?”

God, Eddie knew him so well. It was uncanny. “Yeah, pretty much.” He was waiting for the worst, but Eddie wasn’t looking at him any differently. He still had that genuine smile on his face. 

Eddie shrugged. “We all got exes to deal with.”

“What about the part where he’s a dude?”

“I’ve known you since we were toddlers. It wasn’t so hard to guess. You tend to overcompensate, you know.” Eddie cleared his throat. “So are you strictly into men, or...?”

Richie couldn’t believe they were finally talking about this, and it wasn’t the end of the world. “Yeah, I love dick, I guess.”

Eddie threw his head back in laughter. “I fucking love you, man.”

Richie laughed too. “Me too, Eds. Me too.”

Eddie clapped him on the shoulder. “What do you say we go enjoy your ex’s party?”

“I think he thinks you’re my date.”

“I thought I was. I mean, I got all dressed up for you. Now you gotta show me off.”

Richie didn’t think he could love Eddie more, but he’d been wrong. “Let’s go.”

*

Once inside, Eddie and Richie stuffed their faces with quiche, cocktail weenies, and caviar. Yes, they had caviar. Then they drank all the champagne they could without blacking out. 

Now that they were fed and drunk, they moved onto the dance floor. They were playing some pop song that Richie had heard on the radio a thousand times. He’d never been much of a pop fan, but tonight he was. 

Richie took Eddie’s hands and shook him before spinning him around. Eddie was absolutely loving it, laughing hysterically when Richie dipped him. Their dancing wasn’t going along with the music at all, but that only made it better. 

Eddie gasped overdramatically, leaning close to whisper in Richie’s ear, “Chris is right behind you. He’s looking right at us. I think he’s jealous.”

Richie laughed. “I don’t fucking care.”

Eddie jumped excitedly. “Oh, oh, oh. You know what we should do? We should really make him jealous.”

“What?”

“I’m gonna kiss you, okay?”

Richie’s eyes went as wide as possible. “ _What?_ ”

And then, Eddie did kiss him. 

The kiss was sloppy because they were both beyond tipsy, but it was also very enthusiastic. Eddie didn’t just stick his mouth to his, he also clung to him with his body. Eddie’s arms wrapped around Richie’s waist, hands gripping onto the back of his shirt. His legs encircled Richie’s so that they were pressed together in every way possible. And then, his lips were moving. 

Eddie opened his mouth, which tasted of champagne and caviar, and his tongue dipped into Richie’s mouth. Richie, finally getting over the shock of it all, kissed him back. Richie opened up to Eddie, and Eddie took the lead, allowing his tongue to do all the work. And boy, it was doing the lord’s work. Richie moved his hands to Eddie’s face, cupping his cheeks to pull him closer. Eddie moved with ease, eagerly kissing him deeper and deeper. Richie wished he wasn’t drunk at all because he had no idea if he’d remember any of this in the morning. But God, he hoped he did. The way Eddie kissed him like he couldn’t get enough of Richie was making his knees shake. 

Eddie pulled away, taking a long breath, slowly opening his eyes. There was a soft smile on his lips. A bit secretive. Like he’d just shared a secret with Richie he hadn’t shared with anyone else. 

Richie raised his eyebrows, waiting for something to say, but he was coming up blank. That had been the most incredible kiss he’d ever been given. By the person he’d fantasized about kissing for most of his life. Words couldn’t possibly sum up the way he was feeling right now.

Eddie’s smile turned into a frown. And then he looked sick. “Oh no.”

“What is it?”

“I think the caviar is coming up.”

“Fuck. I know where the bathroom is. Come on.” Richie held onto Eddie’s hand tight as he led them to the bathroom. There was a bearded man about to walk in, but Richie shoved him aside and pushed Eddie inside, closing the door behind him.

The bearded man glared at Richie.

“There’s another bathroom upstairs,” Richie said. “Beat it.”

Chris approached Richie, hands in his pockets. He was wearing a fancy navy blue suit, no tie, and the top three bottoms of his crisp white shirt were undone. Chris was devilishly attractive with his shiny blond hair, blue eyes, and perfect smile. But his looks did nothing to Richie. Actually, he much preferred brunettes with soulful brown eyes. 

“I see that you’ve moved on, darling,” Chris said, the corner of his lips quirking up.

“It’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Richie said, crossing his arms.

Chris narrowed his eyes. “I’ve never seen you kiss someone in public with that much affection. Desperation. Love.”

Richie was starting to feel a little sick himself. If Chris could see all those things from a few feet away, Eddie must have felt them as the other participant. How was he going to ever explain any of this to Eddie? “He and I, we’ve known each other all our lives. There’s a lot of...history there.” 

“You love him.” Chris nodded.

Of course he loved him. He’d been in love with Eddie Kaspbrak all his damn life. “That—it doesn’t matter how I feel. All you need to know is that I’d much rather be kissing him than you.” Wasn’t that the truth?

“I see. So you love him, but you’re not sure if he loves you back. Isn’t that the age-old problem when it comes to romantic relationships?”

“Look, Chris, I really don’t wanna talk about this with you. Go back to your party and leave us alone.”

“I know when I’m not wanted,” Chris said. “I just hope you’re careful. I wouldn’t want you to see you get hurt by someone who doesn’t care for you like you deserve to be cared for.”

Richie sighed. “Thanks. Goodbye now.”

With that, Chris finally disappeared, heading back to the party.

Eddie came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, looking like he’d puked out all his guts. Richie was worried about him. He’d never seen Eddie this drunk before. As a matter of fact, Eddie wasn’t the type to get drunk at all. Three or four beers were his limit.

“How’re you feeling, buddy?” Richie asked.

“Like I will never have another drink in my life.” Eddie grimaced, giving Richie his best puppy-dog eyes. “Take me home, please.”

“You got it. Let’s go.”

Richie called them a Lyft and helped Eddie in the car since Richie had a much higher tolerance for alcohol and he was practically sober already. Eddie passed out before they arrived, and Richie had to shake him gently to wake him up. “Rise and shine, sleepyhead.”

“Can I just sleep in the car?” Eddie mumbled, refusing to open his eyes.

Richie eyed the driver from the rearview mirror. “Nope. This isn’t my car. Come on, I’ll help you up. There’s just a short walk to the elevator, and we’re home.”

Eddie groaned. “Why did I drink so much champagne? I’m so stupid. This night was just one stupid idea after another stupid idea.”

Richie stilled. Was Eddie referring to their kiss? Was he regretting it? Of course he was. Eddie wasn’t interested in Richie. Eddie hadn’t really wanted to kiss Richie. All he’d wanted was to play some silly game to make Chris jealous. That was it. There was nothing more to it. Richie had been such an idiot to think Eddie wanted him in the same way Richie wanted him.

But Richie swallowed all those feelings, bottled them up, and helped his friend up to his condo. Once inside, Eddie turned to Richie, eyes half-lidded.

“You are my best friend in the world,” Eddie said, quietly. “And I love you.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Can you take me to my bed?”

God, why couldn’t this night end already? “Sure,” Richie said, helping Eddie walk all the way to his bedroom. Then, Richie sat him down on the bed, and knelt down to remove his shoes. 

Eddie was staring at him, unblinking. “Why are you always so good to me? Since we were kids. You’ve always helped me. You’ve always protected me. You’ve always loved me. All my life, I knew I could count on you. But then for twenty-seven years, we didn’t speak to each other. All I had to remember you by were your comedy shows. But they weren’t really you. You didn’t write them. I spent twenty-seven years just wanting...you. Your company. In my life.”

Richie was speechless. He knew Eddie was so drunk he probably had no idea what he was saying right now. But Eddie sounded so sincere that it was hard not to believe him. Maybe this is what Eddie hadn’t been able to say sober. Richie was still kneeling on the floor, looking up at Eddie. He put a hand on one of Eddie’s knees. “I wish we hadn’t lost all those years. You have no idea how much I needed you in my life. I was never the same without you near.”

Eddie smiled. “You must really like me, then.”

“You have no idea, Eds.”

Eddie lay down on the bed, closing his eyes. Richie thought he’d already fallen asleep, so he got up to leave, but before he walked out of the room, he heard Eddie say, “I don’t wanna have to miss you anymore.”

*

The next morning, Richie woke up with a hangover. Luckily, after so many years of waking up with hangovers, Richie recovered rather quickly. Eddie woke up much later, groaning and complaining about a headache. He sprawled on the couch, looking like he’d never get up from it again.

Richie gave Eddie two aspirin and a glass of cold water. “Drink up. It’ll be over soon.”

“Why did I think drinking nonstop at your ex’s party was a good idea?”

Richie was surprised that Eddie brought up the fact that Chris was Richie’s ex so lightly. He thought maybe Eddie would never bring it up again because he didn’t know how to deal with it. Richie felt relieved that that wasn’t the case. “What else do you remember from last night?”

“I remember getting really sick in Chris’s fancy bathroom. I think my vomit made it in the toilet like 25% of the time, so I don’t think we can ever go back there again.”

Richie laughed. He was okay with that. “That’s it?”

Eddie took a deep breath. “What’s it?”

“Never mind.” Richie wasn’t going to push it. If Eddie didn’t remember the kiss, maybe it was for the best. Richie couldn’t hold Eddie responsible for doing stupid things while drunk. It had been a drunken mistake. Richie had made a lot of those in the past.

“Do you mind if we just stay in today?” Eddie asked. “I don’t have it in me to do vacation stuff with the way I’m feeling.”

“No problem. I’m a pro at staying in. I was planning on marathoning _Naked and Afraid_. Nothing makes you happier to be indoors than a show about how hellish it is to be outdoors.”

“That’s perfect. I’m down.”

So they stayed in, watching a great reality show, eating leftovers, and recovering from both of their hangovers. The good thing was, there was no tension between them after the kiss from yesterday. Richie didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Part of him, a big part, had hoped that Eddie had enjoyed the kiss and would maybe want to have more kisses with Richie in the future. But the sensible part of Richie knew that Eddie would probably never reciprocate those feelings. Richie wished he was good enough to deserve Eddie’s love, but he’d always known better. That was why Richie had never planned on confessing his feelings to Eddie. He’d always known he’d only get hurt in the process. And yes, he knew Eddie didn’t want to hurt him. Richie just couldn’t help how he felt.

“Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?” Eddie asked, bumping his arm against Richie as they both sat side by side on the couch.

Richie shook his head. “I’m just thinking.”

“About what?”

“About what the fuck I’m doing with my life.”

Eddie shifted so that he was completely facing Richie on the couch. “What the fuck _are_ you doing with your life?”

“I don’t know. Most of the time, it feels like I’m just going through life without ever doing anything meaningful.”

“Rich, you helped kill an evil clown that had brought real-life nightmares to our hometown. You don’t need to worry about ever doing anything again because you’ve done more than most people ever will.”

Richie shuddered just thinking about Pennywise. “That’s not really what I’m talking about.”

“Then what?”

“I guess I’ve realized that, all my life, I’ve pushed everyone that’s ever been interested in me away. I’ve been with so many men that have been good and kind and funny, that have actually gotten my sense of humor, but I’ve pushed them all away. Anytime I get close to someone, my first instinct is to keep them at arm’s length before I get too attached. And it happens every single time.

“There was nothing wrong with Chris,” Richie continued. “If anything, he was way too nice. I told myself that we were just too different so we weren’t compatible. But when I talked to him last night, he was kind to me. And all I did was push him away. Again. And then I wonder why I feel so lonely all the time. It’s all me. I’m the problem.”

Eddie was quiet, holding Richie’s gaze. “Maybe you’ve pushed everyone away because you’ve known, on some level, that they’re not the one for you.”

That was definitely not what Richie had been expecting to hear. What the hell did that even mean? “I should...I should go to bed.”

Eddie nodded. “Me too. Are you gonna be okay?”

“Oh, I know how to fake my way around not being okay. It’s kind of my full-time job.”

It was a joke, but Eddie didn’t laugh. Or smile. Instead, he hugged Richie, tightly.

*

Richie made up his mind to do something out of his comfort zone the next day. Eddie went along with it when Richie said he wanted to go to a bar. 

“I’m going, but I’m only drinking virgin margaritas,” Eddie said.

“Good thinking.”

When they got to the bar, Eddie didn’t even bat an eye. It was obviously a gay bar. Richie had never once been inside one. But he’d told himself this is what he wanted to do. And that this time, he wouldn’t push people away.

“I kinda like this place,” Eddie said, sitting on one of the bar stools. Richie sat beside him and ordered them two virgin margaritas.

“Me too. _A lot_ of men.” Richie grinned, staring at Eddie and sipping his drink.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot. You love dick.”

“I sure do.” Richie leaned in. “I was kind of hoping to meet someone.”

Eddie furrowed his eyebrow. “What? Tonight?”

Richie shrugged. “Yeah. I’m gonna try to do things differently this time. I’m not gonna close myself off, or be a total asshole. I’m gonna go against all of my instincts.”

Eddie stared at his drink like it had personally offended him. “Is that really what you wanna do?”

“It’s either that, or spending the rest of my life alone.”

Eddie let out a long breath. “So, why did you bring me here? Am I supposed to be your wingman or something?”

“No. I mean, not really. I need you here for moral support, that’s all.”

Eddie hummed. “Right. Okay. Whatever you say.”

The bartender pushed a glass of whiskey towards Richie. “This is from that gentleman in the corner.”

Richie grinned. That was easy. He turned to where the bartender was motioning. In the corner sat a short redheaded man wearing a baseball cap and a red flannel shirt. Richie could work with this. He raised his glass in thank you, and took a sip.

“That guy? Please,” Eddie said behind him.

The man approached Richie, taking the empty seat to his right. “Hey, pal. I’m Jim. What’s your name?”

“Richie.” He shook Jim’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Jim. Thanks for the drink.”

“I thought you looked like a whiskey man,” Jim said. “Who’s your friend?”

Richie turned back to Eddie. “This is Eddie. Eddie, meet Jim.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “Evening, Jim. What brings you here?”

“I figured I’d meet someone interesting,” Jim said. “And I think I just did.” He glanced back at Richie with a grin.

Richie was getting a good feeling from this guy. He seemed harmless, and he knew how to flirt without being creepy. “I think I did, too.”

“So, what do you do, Richie?” Jim asked.

“I’m a comedian,” Richie said. “I just got back from a tour, actually.”

“No kidding.” Jim looked impressed. “Wait a minute. Are you _the_ Richie Tozier?”

“The one and only.”

Jim laughed. “Wow. I never thought I’d get to meet Richie Tozier. Much less buy him a drink while attempting to flirt with him.”

“I guess today’s your lucky day.”

Behind him, Eddie cleared his throat. “Rich?”

Richie turned to him. “Yes?”

“Can I have a minute of your time?”

“Sure.” Richie turned back to Jim. “I’ll be right back.” Then Eddie was pulling him away, into the crowds, all the way to the restrooms. Whoa. Deja vu. “Why do we have to come all this way to talk?”

Eddie didn’t say anything, pushing him past the restrooms and out the back door. The wind was cool on Richie’s face. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What?” Richie dug his hands into his sweater pockets.

Eddie looked just as enraged as the time Richie asked him to follow him into the sewers full of gray water. “That guy obviously knew it was you. He just wants to say he slept with a famous comedian. This is the guy you want to spend the rest of your life with?”

“Dude, chill out. Just because I’m talking to him doesn’t mean I’m gonna fucking marry him. I don’t work that way.”

“I get that you’re lonely, Rich. I do. But you don’t have to settle for some guy you meet at a bar. If you’d told me this is why we were coming here tonight, I would have stopped you.”

“Eds, I get that you’re trying to protect me, but I’m an adult. I can make my own decisions.”

“Not if you’re gonna make the wrong decisions.”

Richie pinched the bridge of his nose. “How do you know this is a wrong decision? Just because a nice guy recognized me, now he doesn’t really like me?”

“I just want to protect you.”

Richie laughed humorlessly. “Protect me from what? I’m not a kid anymore, Eds!”

“No, but you’re still my best friend. You’re the most important person in my life. I’m not gonna let you do something stupid just because you’re so desperate for a bit of affection.”

“You think I’m desperate for affection?” Richie asked. “That’s funny. You were the one who mauled me at Chris’s party.”

Eddie blinked and swallowed. There was recognition in his eyes. Of course he remembered the kiss. How could he not?

“Why’d you kiss me, Eds? Why’d you kiss me and pretend nothing happened?”

“Rich, I—”

“You feel sorry for me? Is that it?”

“No! No, of course not! God, Rich, why are you such an idiot sometimes? I didn’t kiss you because I felt sorry for you. And I sure as hell didn’t kiss you to make Chris jealous. You wanna know why I kissed you, you asshole?” Eddie stepped closer, so close Richie could feel his breath on his cheeks. “I kissed you because I’ve wanted to kiss you since we were kids. I kissed you because I spent twenty-seven years without you, with nothing but a faint memory of you. And then I saw you again, all grown up and beautiful as always. And we both almost died, and I should have kissed you from the moment we saw each other again at that restaurant, in front of all our friends. That’s why I kissed you, you fucking dick!”

Richie had no words. Nothing to say in response. All he knew was that his heart was hammering in his chest, beating so loud he could hear it. His hands were sweaty and his throat was dry. And all he wanted to do was what he did. Richie cupped Eddie’s face, his thumb softly caressing his cheek. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Richie couldn’t believe there were no secrets between them anymore.

Then, Richie kissed Eddie.

It was a chaste kiss. A kiss slow enough to learn the shape of their mouths, the curve of their lips. A kiss that spoke of all the words they had kept inside for so long. A kiss that meant more than all the other kisses Richie had ever had in his entire life.

When they pulled away, Eddie smiled. “Would you look at that. Richie ‘Trashmouth’ Tozier is a great kisser.”

“Shut up.”

“Add some tongue next time.”

“I was trying to be romantic.”

“We can be romantic later.” Eddie stepped closer—how was that even possible?—and he wrapped his arms around Richie’s waist. He smiled wickedly as his hands started roaming lower and lower, until they reached Richie’s ass and he gave them a squeeze.

Richie raised his eyebrows, swallowing hard. “You’re touching my ass.”

“I know.”

“Eddie Kaspbrak is touching my ass right now.”

Eddie laughed. “Yes, _I know._ ”

“This is new.”

Eddie looked serious for a second. “Do you...do you like it?”

Richie’s heart was racing, and all he could think was, “Hell yeah.”

Eddie smiled again. “Good. Me too.” He gave it another squeeze and Richie let out a tiny squeal. “You’re so fucking adorable.”

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m the most awkward looking person around.”

Eddie shook his head. “No, you’re wrong, Rich. You’re beautiful. Always have been, and always will be. You were the first crush I ever had. Those coke bottle glasses did things to me.”

Now _that_ was ridiculous. “Shut up.”

“I only speak the truth.”

Richie groaned. “You’re the good-looking one. I can’t even stand looking at your face. It’s like I’m staring into the sun.”

Eddie chuckled. “Alright, now that we’ve had our fill of compliments, let’s go home.”

“Let’s go, but I should go say bye to Jim before I go.”

Eddie gave him a look.

Richie laughed, raising his hands innocently. “I’m fucking kidding, man.”

Eddie unwrapped his arms from around him, using them to shove Richie away. “That’s not fucking funny.”

Richie reached for Eddie’s hand and laced their fingers. It felt so natural doing this. Like their hands had always belonged together like this. “Come on.” It only took a small pull for Eddie to follow willingly. 

And so, they went home.

*

When they arrived at Richie's condo, they were both uncharacteristically quiet. Richie didn’t know what to say. There were so many things he wanted to do, but he didn’t want to move too quickly for fear of scaring Eddie. Maybe it was better to take things slow. 

They were still holding hands as they walked to their rooms. They stood in the hall, between both of their bedroom doors, and Richie let go of Eddie’s hand. Then he used that hand to rub the back of his neck.

“Uh, goodnight,” Richie said, quietly. It felt wrong, somehow, breaking the silence.

Eddie held his gaze, unflinchingly. Then he gave a tilt of his chin, motioning to his door. “Come sleep in my bed.”

It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. Something Eddie wanted and knew Richie wanted too. He was being braver than Richie had ever been in his life.

“Are...are you sure?”

Eddie nodded, a soft smile on his lips. “Just sleep there with me. That’s all.”

How could he say no to that? “Okay.”

Eddie opened his door and they both walked in. Then Eddie removed his shoes and pulled down his pants. He dug out a pair of black pajamas that had cartoon pandas all over. He slipped out of his shirt before changing into them. Meanwhile, Richie had done nothing but stare at him, unable to do anything else. “You can get comfortable too.”

It was like Richie had needed permission. Unlike Eddie, Richie didn’t sleep in cute pajamas. So he removed his pants and shirt until he was clad in his black boxer briefs. They were sort of matching.

Eddie peeled back the comforter and got in bed, patting the empty space beside him.

Richie moved closer, getting in bed too. Then they were both sitting there, their backs pressed up against the headboard. Richie turned to face Eddie first, and Eddie looked back at him. “We haven’t had a sleepover since we were kids.”

“I know.”

Richie let out a long breath. “I promise I’ll get better at this. It’s just so new to me, and I like you so much, and I can’t believe this is happening.”

Eddie smiled, bumping his arm against Richie’s. “You’re doing great. I can’t believe this is happening either. I’ve wanted this for so long.”

“Really?”

Eddie nodded. “Are you tired?”

“Not anymore.”

“You wanna watch cat videos on Youtube?”

Richie chuckled. “Is that what you watch when you can’t sleep?”

“Yes, and don’t judge before trying it.”

Richie rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

Eddie grabbed his phone, pulled up Youtube, and pressed play on a funny cat video. They leaned their heads together as they watched the small screen of Eddie’s phone. Before long, Richie started yawning, and Eddie yawned in response. Richie’s eyes were feeling heavy with sleep. Damn Eddie. He was right yet again. 

“See?” Eddie whispered. “I told you.”

Richie sighed. “Shut up.”

Sometime later, they both crashed, their heads pressed together.

*

In the morning, Richie woke up to the sunlight beaming through a small space in between his drapes. He wasn’t sure how he’d ended up with Eddie’s back pressed up against his chest, and his arm across Eddie’s torso. Richie stirred, retrieving his arm, but was surprised when Eddie grabbed his hand before it was gone. Richie licked his dry lips. How long had Eddie been awake?

“Good morning,” Eddie said.

“Good morning.” Richie’s voice was rough.

Eddie shifted onto his back so that he could look up at Richie. He still held his hand, setting them both down on his flat belly. His clear brown eyes looked so beautiful in the morning light. How did Richie get so lucky to be able to wake up in bed next to Eddie?

“Are you hungry?” Eddie asked. “I was thinking about making French toast and scrambled eggs for breakfast.”

Richie nodded. “That sounds great.”

Eddie looked into his eyes for what felt like a small century before he said, “I love waking up next to you.”

Richie did his best to be sincere and not crack a stupid joke that would ruin the moment. “Are you cool with being the little spoon?” Okay, not great, but he did try.

“Yes, and thanks for asking.” Eddie was smiling.

“Awesome. Guess that works out for both of us.”

With his free hand, Eddie pulled Richie’s neck down to give him a quick peck on his lips, and then he got out of bed. “Breakfast will be ready in twenty.”

As soon as Eddie left, Richie stared up at his ceiling, wanting to yell at the top of his lungs because he didn’t know how to contain everything he was feeling inside. But since he couldn’t do that, he grabbed his phone, opened up his notes, and started typing.

_Holy shit!!! Holy fucking shit!!! Eddie and I kissed. We slept together. With clothes on. And I got to wake up beside him. Is this a fucking dream? Cause if it is, it’s glorious. I fucking love that man. With all my fucking heart. Fuck!_

And then, he finally got out of bed.

*

Breakfast was delicious. Eddie was such an amazing cook. All that time he spent reading cookbooks was worth it. Richie complimented him with every bite.

“I’m glad you approve,” Eddie said, playfully bouncing his foot against his under the table.

“Do you have any vacation things you wanna do today?” Richie asked.

“I was thinking we could do something a little different.”

“How different are we talking?”

Eddie’s eyes lit up. “Well, there’s a painting class tonight. One of those where you can bring wine and snacks. But since I’m cutting alcohol out of my life for the time being, I figured we could bring sparkling water instead. Anyway, we’d be painting a cute bird perched on a tree branch.”

“You wanna paint?”

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to go to one of those classes. I’ve never had anyone to go with, but luckily, now I do.”

Richie looked at him. “You already got the tickets, didn’t you?”

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, a few days ago, actually. You’re gonna love it.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m a shitty painter. I have no artistic skills whatsoever.”

“Neither do I. We can suck together.”

Richie laughed. Partly because that sounded oddly sexual, and partly because Eddie was the fucking best thing that had ever happened to him. “Alright. Let’s go suck together.”

*

They absolutely sucked.

Richie’s bird looked more like a big blue blob that was trying to be a duck. As much as he tried, he just couldn’t get any of the details right. Eddie’s bird looked a little more like a bird, but it had giant feet that were bigger than its entire body. Eddie was smiling proudly as he finished his painting.

“Check me out,” Eddie said, signing the bottom of his painting with his paintbrush.

“I’d rather check you out than your painting,” Richie said.

Eddie narrowed his eyes at him. “Whatever. I think we both did really well.”

“Really?”

“No!” Eddie laughed. “Your painting sucks. Mine is way better.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m hanging this up in the living room.”

“Good thing I never have any visitors.”

“You know, I’m glad you said that. I was thinking we should have a small get-together soon.”

“What? Why would we do that? That would mean we’d have to interact with people. You know, socialize.”

Eddie wet his paintbrush. “I don’t really know anyone else here. It’d be nice to make some friends.”

“I’m your friend.”

“You don’t count.”

Richie rolled his eyes. “You really wanna do this?”

“Yeah, and we can end it early if you really hate it.”

“Okay, sure. Let’s have a party at my place.”

Eddie smiled widely. The kind of smile that lit up his brown eyes. Then he pressed a kiss to Richie’s cheek, like it was something he did all the time. 

*

True to his word, Eddie hung up his bird painting in Richie’s living room. He’d already decorated his apartment, so this seemed really fitting. Richie loved all the changes Eddie had made in Richie’s place. Most of all, he loved the way Eddie did all this, like the place belonged to him, like he was planning on sticking around for good. Richie hadn’t really allowed himself to think about Eddie leaving, even though he knew it was inevitable. But Richie also couldn’t ask Eddie to leave everything behind in New York. All Richie knew was that he was willing to work on whatever this was that was happening with Eddie. Even if it meant having a long-distance relationship.

Eddie took a few steps back to admire his painting on the wall. “Give me your painting. I’m gonna put it up right next to mine.”

Richie made a face. “You don’t wanna do that.”

“Yes, I do.” Eddie took Richie’s painting and hung it up as well. The contrast was kind of hilarious. Richie’s painting was definitely ten times worse than Eddie’s. “Perfect.”

Richie held back his tongue before he pointed out how he felt the paintings reflected them in real life. Eddie being so much better than Richie. Instead, he said, “I had a lot of fun tonight.”

“Me too.” Eddie looked at him. “Nice first date, wasn’t it?”

Richie widened his eyes. “We were on a date?”

Eddie laughed. “Yes, you idiot. We were on a date.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I thought you knew!”

“I would have dressed better if I knew we were going on a fucking date!”

“I think you look great.”

Richie pointed to his ripped jeans and old sweater. “I look like I look every day. I would have tried a little harder.”

Eddie looked up at him. “You don’t have to do that. I like that you don’t try to impress me. I don’t need that fake shit. I want the same old you.”

“Stop being romantic. You’re way too good at it.”

“Am I? Wow. I never thought I was.”

“Well, you are.”

Eddie smiled. “Let’s go to bed.” Eddie didn’t have to tell him twice. Richie followed him to the bedroom. But before Richie could remove his clothes, Eddie stopped him. “Let me do it.”

Richie swallowed. His throat was so dry. “Okay.”

Slowly, Eddie unzipped his sweater and removed it, letting it fall to the ground in a silent thud. Then he lifted his shirt with one hand while the other touched his chest, falling down to his stomach. Eddie bit his lower lip as he continued touching Richie’s torso, lifting his shirt higher and higher. When he finally removed the shirt completely, Eddie kissed across Richie’s chest. They were soft kisses, as soft as the touches he was leaving with his fingertips. Richie let out a shaky sigh as Eddie’s lips moved higher, all the way to Richie’s neck.

Richie let his hands fall on Eddie’s hips, gripping him tightly. He moved his head to give Eddie more room on his neck. Eddie moved his lips to his jaw just below his ear, kissing all the way down to his chin. Then he nosed his cheek, taking his sweet time before he kissed another trail leading to his mouth. Eddie kissed Richie soft and sweetly, like he was savoring the moment. Eddie nipped Richie’s lip, smiling when Richie let out a small moan. Then Eddie really kissed him, tongue and all.

Richie parted his lips and let him in, all the way in. Richie dug his hands under Eddie’s shirt so there was skin on skin there too. Eddie continued kissing him, this time digging his fingers in Richie’s hair to pull him down even closer. Eddie kissed him with a passion that made Richie’s toes curl. They were both gasping when Eddie pulled back slightly, their mouths only separated by an inch.

“I’m gonna take off your pants now,” Eddie breathed close to him. “But I’m not doing it to get in your pants.”

Richie still had his eyes closed, and all he could do was smile. “Okay.”

Eddie kissed him again, unbuttoning Richie’s jeans, and pulling down the zipper. It was so intimate, so new, and so good. Then Eddie dug his thumbs into the waistline of the jeans before pulling them down, all the way down. Richie lifted his legs to slip out of them completely, and tossed them aside. “Do you wanna take off my clothes now?”

Richie nodded before his brain knew he was nodding. As they continued kissing, Richie undid Eddie’s buttons, one by one. When his shirt was completely unbuttoned, Richie slipped it off and let it fall to the floor. When he moved to Eddie’s pants, Richie felt his hands trembling. God, this was so good. Richie had never felt this nervous and excited about undressing someone. Not ever. This was thrilling in every single way. Richie didn’t want this to end. Just the kissing alone was fantastic. They didn’t have to do anything else because this was phenomenal.

After struggling with his trembling hands, Richie finally got Eddie’s pants unbuttoned and unzipped and pulled them down. Now that they were both clad in just their underwear, Richie moved them towards his bed. He was leading them blindly until they hit the bed. Eddie fell back onto the bed, and Richie followed, now lying on top of him. They both laughed. Eddie leaned up on his elbows, and they both opened their eyes, breaking apart. 

“Hi,” Eddie said.

“Hi,” Richie said.

“I know it might be a bad time to say this now that we’re both half naked, but I just want us to sleep tonight. Is that okay?”

Richie nodded. He wanted to go slow too. “Let’s sleep.”

Eddie smiled. “Okay.” He kissed Richie again, with lingering kisses that made Richie’s stomach flutter uncontrollably. Eddie started moving up the bed so that his head was on a pillow, pulling Richie with him without breaking their kiss. Tentatively, Richie put his weight down on Eddie, worried he was too heavy for him. In response, Eddie grabbed Richie’s ass again, pushing him further down. Eddie laughed. “I fucking love your ass.”

Richie looked down at him. “My ass appreciates your affection.”

“Am I being a total tease right now?”

“No. I’ll take whatever you give me.”

“You drive me crazy, Rich.”

Richie knew the feeling. “I’d like to kiss you again.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah, okay.” 

They kissed again, slowly and deeply. Eddie never removed his hands from Richie’s ass, holding him possessively. Richie thought it was hilarious how handsy Eddie was with him. He’d never pegged him for an ass lover. 

After what felt simultaneously like the longest and shortest time, the two of them got under the comforter to go to sleep. Eddie turned around so his back was to Richie again, and Richie draped an arm around his waist, holding him close. Richie pressed a warm kiss to the back of Eddie’s neck.

“Goodnight,” Richie whispered into the darkness.

“Goodnight,” Eddie whispered back.

*

The next morning, during breakfast, Eddie asked Richie about his friends and acquaintances, trying to figure out who they should invite to their dinner party. It was very difficult trying to list the people Richie would tolerate coming to his place.

“We could invite Chris,” Richie said, only to see the look in Eddie’s face.

Eddie rolled his eyes. “You’re hilarious. Be serious. Come on.”

“There’s my manager, Brenda. Do you wanna invite my manager?”

“Sure. I’d love to meet your manager.”

Richie hadn’t been totally serious about that either, but he couldn’t figure out a good reason not to invite her. After all, Brenda was the only person he didn’t mind talking to on the phone. Besides Eddie, of course. “Alright. I’ll invite Brenda and her wife.”

“Great. Who else?”

Richie tried to come up with another person. He had friends, sure. But not close friends. More like people whose names and numbers he had but never bothered calling. “I used to hang out with another comedian, Garrett. He does stand up. Funny guy. I haven’t talked to him in, like, a year.”

“Give him a call. And a plus one. Who else?”

“You want more guests?”

“At least two more.”

Richie scratched his head. “There’s Tony. I went to grad school with him.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “You went to grad school?”

“Yes, and don’t look so surprised.”

Eddie grinned. “My boyfriend went to grad school. I’m dating a genius.”

Richie didn’t process anything after Eddie called him his _boyfriend_. It was not a title he ever expected to have in relation to Eddie. But it sounded glorious.

“What?” Eddie asked, looking worried. “What did I say?”

“I’m your boyfriend?”

“Yeah, you’re my boyfriend. Did you not want to be my boyfriend?”

“I do. I do. I just didn’t know that’s what we were. I didn’t know it was so official.”

Eddie leaned forward on the table. “Did I forget to mention that I’ve wanted this since we were pre-teens? I thought we’d gone over that.”

Richie shoved Eddie’s face aside. “Okay, okay. I get it. You want me, I want you. We’re boyfriends. Shut up.”

Eddie chuckled. “So call up Tony and tell him to bring someone too. We’ll cook something really good.”

“We’re cooking?”

“Yes, we’re cooking. You’re my best cooking assistant. You’re stuck with the job. Sorry. I don’t make the rules.”

“When’s the dinner party?”

“Tomorrow.”

Richie widened his eyes. “That soon?”

“We’ll postpone if they can’t make it. Don’t worry about preparations. I’ve got it all covered.”

“Of course you do.”

*

Eddie did have it all covered.

The night of the dinner party, Eddie covered the table with a fancy tablecloth, nice china, and a flower centerpiece. He made Richie help him cook a crispy fish with brown butter sauce and a type of salad he couldn’t pronounce. It actually looked delicious. Richie really shouldn’t be surprised by Eddie’s culinary skills by now. They had white wine to accompany the dinner. Eddie was willing to break his alcohol-free promise for one night because, apparently, this was a very important dinner party.

“Why is it so important?” Richie asked, watching as Eddie finished decorating the red velvet cake they’d made. Eddie was also really good at baking. Surprise, surprise.

“Because I want to meet your friends, Rich. I want to see your life here.”

“I’m sort of a loner, if you hadn’t noticed. Friends aren’t really my thing.”

“Well, they were your thing twenty-seven years ago.” Eddie looked at him. “This will be fun. If at any point you’re uncomfortable and want this night to end, you just tell me. I’ll kick everyone out.”

“Stop being so nice to me. It’s weird.”

“You’re right. Fuck you, Trashmouth.” Eddie gave Richie’s ass a slap before he removed his purple apron and walked out of the kitchen.

Richie watched him walk away, smiling widely.

*

Their guests started arriving at 7:00pm.

Richie had never hosted a dinner party in his life, nor did he think he ever would. So he was a huge awkward mess during the entire ordeal. Fortunately, Eddie took over. And Eddie was surprisingly very good at the whole hosting thing.

“Hello, Brenda, it’s so good to meet you,” Eddie said, shaking her hand and even going in for a cheek kiss. 

Brenda laughed. “Well, it’s very nice meeting you too, Edward.” She looked at me over Eddie’s shoulder. “Where have you been hiding this handsome man all this time, Richie?”

“Oh, you know…” Richie said, trailing off. How the hell was he supposed to answer that?

Brenda motioned to the very pregnant woman beside her. “This is my wife, Andrea. And before either of you ask, she’s due next month. We’re so excited and equally frightened.”

Andrea shook their hands too. “I’m more excited to not have to pee every five minutes anymore. Nice to meet you, Eddie. I always thought Richie was more of a lone wolf. His words, not mine.”

Eddie looked back at Richie. “Oh, I know. I kinda had to force myself back in his life because he didn’t even give me a phone call.”

“I didn’t think you really wanted me to call!” Richie said, defensively.

“Of course I wanted you to call, you dumbass,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “Men. What are you gonna do?”

Brenda pulled Richie aside while Eddie talked some more with Andrea. “Boy, your new beau is quite the looker. Where’d you find him?”

“We met as kids, in my hometown in Maine.” That was all Richie could say about that.

Brenda’s eyes widened. “No way! That’s so romantic. Lifelong friends falling in love. Isn’t that just wonderful?”

Richie’s throat went dry with the whole “falling in love” thing. Yes, he was madly in love with Eddie, but he still hadn’t been brave enough to say it out loud, and he wasn’t sure Eddie was ready to hear it either. What if he didn’t feel the same way? And now he was panicking. “I think I need some water. Can I get you a drink?”

“Water would be nice. Thank you, dear.”

Richie made his escape to the kitchen, where he was joined by Eddie soon after. Eddie was very aware of everything Richie was feeling, so he went over to him and touched his shoulder.

“Are you overwhelmed already?” Eddie asked.

“A little,” Richie said. “But not about them.”

“Is this about me then?”

Richie closed his eyes tight, and nodded.

“What did I do? Am I moving too fast with the dinner party that we’re both hosting as a couple?”

“No, no it’s not that.”

Eddie moved his hand to Richie’s face, holding him gently. “Then what is it? You can tell me anything, Rich. You know you can trust me.”

“I know. And I do. I just.” Richie took a deep breath. Then he faced Eddie. His brown eyes were watching him with an open concern that melted Richie’s heart. “This probably isn’t the time to do this, but there’s something I need to tell you, Eds.”

Eddie lowered his hand, blinked up at Richie. “You can tell me anything,” he repeated.

“I love you,” Richie said. He just said it. Now it was out in the open. “I’m in love with you. I have been, probably all my life. And I know what we have is so new, and I should have waited longer to say it, but I had to do it.”

Eddie was smiling now. “I love you too, Rich. Did you think I didn’t? I wouldn’t be moving this fast with anyone I didn’t love. I’ve been in love with you my whole life too. Thank you for telling me. You beat me to the punch line. I was going to wait until the night was over and we were in bed to tell you. But I’m glad you said it first. It was brave of you.”

Richie took Eddie’s face in his hands and kissed him, hard. He was smiling through the kiss, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Richie loved Eddie and Eddie loved him back. What an amazing world he lived in where this was his reality.

“Babe,” Eddie whispered into Richie’s mouth. “Can we get back to our guests? It’s kinda rude to leave them alone.”

“Oh, yeah.” Richie had already forgotten all about their guests and the dinner party. “Help me take these drinks to the living room.”

“I think this will be a fun evening.”

The rest of their guests arrived together. Tony and his girlfriend Jessica apparently rode up the elevator with Garrett and Hannah. Richie was actually excited to see his old friends. He’d forgotten how much he enjoyed their company. He’d never introduced them to anyone he was seeing, so it was a nice change to get to say, “This is Eddie Kaspbrak, my boyfriend.” He didn’t think that would ever get old.

“Richie Tozier is in a committed relationship,” Garrett said. “The world must be on fire right now.”

“Hah! Shut your fucking mouth,” Richie said. “What I really wanna know is how you tricked your beautiful girlfriend to like your ugly ass?”

“I just had to be extra funny and charming,” Garrett said. “Isn’t that right, babe?”

Hannah laughed. “I think I fell more for the charming aspect than the funny one.”

Richie threw his head back in laughter. “Oh, man, I love this woman. She’s perfect for you.”

“I gotta tell you, man, I never expected your place to look this nice,” Tony said, laughing. “Whenever I’d go to your apartment back in the day, your walls were completely empty and you had just the bare minimum. This place is lovely.”

Eddie smiled. “Well, thank you. That’s actually all me.”

Tony nodded. “That makes more sense.”

“Yeah, Eddie’s been making this place brighter than ever,” Richie said, and he was a bit shocked to realize he’d paid Eddie a public compliment without any jokes in the mix. Love was doing crazy things to his brain. “I can’t believe you’re engaged, Tony. Congrats, you two.”

Jessica showed off her ring, which had an enormous diamond on it. “Thank you so much. He proposed on our trip to Paris last month. Under the Eiffel tower.”

“What the fuck?” Richie said. “I never pegged you for such a romantic.”

Tony shrugged, tossing an arm around Jessica. “I don’t think I was much of one before I met her.”

They moved onto the dinner table soon after, and they started eating. Everyone immediately began complimenting the food, and Richie had to give props to Eddie. 

“Richie helped too,” Eddie said. “We make a pretty good team in the kitchen.”

“I can’t believe you’re cooking,” Brenda said. “All the years I’ve known you, I’ve never known you to cook even an egg.”

“Cooking isn't as bad as I always thought,” Richie confessed. “It’s actually kinda fun.”

“Oh my God, I’m so glad Eddie is in your life,” Brenda said. “Keep him forever.”

Richie looked at Eddie. “I think he has a say in that.”

Eddie smiled up at him, placing a hand over his own hand on the table. 

The rest of the night went by with them catching up, getting to know each other, and enjoying the good food and dessert. Everyone was so excited about Eddie. They thought he was way funnier than Richie, and Richie didn’t even bother arguing with them because he knew it was the truth. All his life, whenever he heard the term “better half” he gagged a bit, thinking it was the cheesiest saying. But now he couldn’t help but think of it whenever he looked at Eddie. He was his better half, in every way possible.

When their guests all left, Richie and Eddie cleaned up the table and washed the dishes together. Eddie even made doing the dishes entertaining.

“I like your friends,” Eddie said. “I’m really glad we did this.”

“Yeah, I like them too. I guess I forgot how nice it was to have them around.”

Eddie handed Richie a clean plate so Richie would dry it with the towel in his hands. “I wanted to meet your friends tonight so I could make friends too. You know why?”

Richie dried the plate and put it away on the shelf. “Why?”

“Rich, I left my house to my ex wife.”

When Richie faced Eddie, he was already looking up at him. “What? Why?”

Eddie shrugged. “I didn’t want anything tying me back to New York. When I came here to visit you, it wasn’t really a visit. I had decided to leave everything behind and start a new life here. I didn’t know if we would...you know, work out. I wasn’t sure you felt the way I did. But I wanted to be near you anyway. I wanted to start over somewhere safe. And I’ve always felt safe with you. I left my house, my job, everything. I’m not asking to live here. I can find my own place.”

“No,” Richie said. “No. I want you to stay.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Yes! Fuck, Eds. You’ve made this place your home. You make me feel safe too. I didn’t want you to go back to New York. You have no idea how happy I am that you’re not going back there.”

Eddie bumped his arm against Richie’s. “I’m staying. It’s you and me, Rich. We’re stuck like bubblegum.”

Richie had a faint memory of them as kids, discussing how they would spend the rest of their lives traveling the world together because they were stuck like bubblegum on a shoe. And with that memory, Richie kissed Eddie in bed that night until they fell asleep in each other’s arms.

*

Two weeks had passed since Richie had started dating Eddie, and things were only getting better. Every morning, Richie woke up next to Eddie, holding him close, relishing in the fact that this was his life now. Being with Eddie. Not ever having to let him go again.

Even though Eddie was sticking around for good, he was still set on doing vacation things. And Richie was more than happy to go along with all his ideas, even though he protested as always.

Today, Eddie had arranged for them to go to a Death Cab for Cutie concert. Richie didn’t think a concert belonged in the list of activities to do during vacations, but there was no talking Eddie out of anything once he made up his mind. Eddie admitted he wasn’t a huge fan of the band, and Richie had probably only heard one of their songs his entire life, but Eddie said none of that mattered.

“Have you ever been to a concert before?” Richie asked as they walked inside the building. It was an open ceiling auditorium, and Eddie had gotten them seats on the lawn behind the reserved seating. 

Eddie smiled, reaching for Richie’s hand and lacing their fingers. “One or two. I don’t like big crowds.”

“I remember,” Richie said, squeezing Eddie’s hand.

“But this is the new me, and I want to do this with you. Besides, I think it’s kind of romantic to sit under the stars for a concert with my boyfriend.”

Richie didn’t think he’d ever get tired of hearing Eddie call him his boyfriend. Richie had never really liked being anyone’s boyfriend before. But this was Eddie. Everything was a million times better with Eddie.

They found an empty spot of grass to sit on, and they made themselves comfortable. The sun was just beginning to set, and the moon was already visible. Richie was eager to see the stars in the sky. Eddie had been right about this being romantic.

It was nice how no one in the lawn area was standing. Everyone just sat down and leaned back as the music played. The band had a lot of slow songs, but they weren’t bad. Richie could see himself listening to them unironically.

Eddie put his head on Richie’s shoulder, and Richie wrapped an arm around Eddie, keeping him close and safe. This was where Eddie belonged, in Richie’s arms. Richie would always keep him safe. 

_And she laughed and danced through the field of graves. There I knew it would be alright, that everything would be alright…_

Richie kissed the top of Eddie’s head.

It didn’t take long for night to take over, but it was far from dark. The moon was full and shining tonight, and the visible stars were there to make the sky that much brighter. They listened to the band play on, but it was hard for Richie to concentrate when Eddie was kissing his neck so softly. 

_Love of mine, someday you will die, but I'll be close behind and I'll follow you into the dark…_

This was it. This was the song that Richie had heard before. How right it was now. 

Eddie leaned back slightly to meet Richie’s eyes. There was a smile on his lips, and it was the most beautiful thing Richie had ever seen. “You like them, don’t you? I bet you weren’t expecting that.”

“What do I get if I admit that I do?” Richie raised an eyebrow.

There was a quiet moment before Eddie said, “Take me home and you’ll find out.”

Richie wasn’t sure if Eddie was being serious. Did he want to leave now, before the concert was over? “What? Really?”

Eddie nodded. “Yes, really. Come on. Let’s go home.”

They went home, Eddie holding Richie’s hand the entire drive. Richie’s hand was sweating because he wasn’t sure exactly what Eddie had meant when he suggested they went home. They hadn’t had sex yet. Richie didn’t mind. Being with Eddie, kissing him in bed, sleeping beside him, had been enough. Richie was in no hurry. But if this meant what Richie thought it meant, then it was fucking huge. When they’d left for the concert earlier, Richie hadn’t been expecting this turn of events. 

What if Richie wasn’t what Eddie really wanted? What if he disappointed him in bed? Richie had never really second-guessed himself before when it came to sex, but Eddie was the most important person in his life. This would be their first time. And it mattered. 

Of course, it mattered. 

Once home, Eddie pulled Richie into his bedroom, which had now become their bedroom. Then he started kissing him, guiding him blindly to the bed. When the back of Richie’s knees hit the bed, he fell on top of it, and Eddie crawled over him, sitting on his lap and unbuttoning his shirt. 

“Eddie, wait,” Richie said, holding his hand, which was sliding further and further down. 

Eddie frowned. “What is it? Don’t you want this?”

“I do,” Richie said quickly. “Of course I do. But I want to make sure you want it too. I mean, we haven’t done anything like this before. Together.”

Eddie bent down so his chest was against Richie’s chest, and one of his hands was brushing back Richie’s hair. “I know. I wanted to wait while I did some research.”

Richie’s eyes widened. “You were researching gay sex?”

Eddie smiled, his cheeks turning pink in the most endearing way. “Yeah. Don’t judge me, okay? I’ve never done this with a man. I wanted it to be good for you. For us.”

“Eds, we don’t have to do this. Our relationship is amazing as it is.”

“But I want to do this with you.” Eddie kissed the corner of Richie’s mouth, tightening his hold on his hair. “Sex has never been my favorite thing in relationships. I’ve never really enjoyed it. I don’t know if it’s because there’s something wrong with me or because I’m just too gay to be with women. But I want to try this with you. I have a feeling it’ll be great with you. _Everything_ is great with you.”

Richie had never felt more love for Eddie. He would go to the ends of the earth for him. And if this is what he wanted, then Richie would make it great for him. 

Richie held Eddie’s face in his hands and kissed him. He kissed him deeply, with intent. His tongue made its way inside once Eddie opened his mouth to him, and he swallowed Eddie’s moans. Richie bucked his hips, smiling when he felt Eddie’s erection. This was a good start. Slow but steady. 

Richie pulled away to kiss down Eddie’s neck, nipping at the sensitive skin below his ear. Eddie thrust his hips down at the same time Richie arched his back, and the friction was delicious. Richie moved his mouth to Eddie’s throat, loving the sounds coming out of Eddie. Desperate pants and moans that traveled all the way to his cock. 

“I want you to tell me what you want,” Richie whispered against his skin. “What do you want, Eds?”

Eddie swallowed, his throat bobbing up and down. “I want you to touch me.”

Richie rolled them around on the bed so that he was on top of Eddie. They locked eyes, and Richie was delighted to see how dark Eddie’s eyes had become. Almost black. Richie undid Eddie’s pants, then dipped both his index fingers on the waistband and pulled them down. Eddie was wearing black boxer briefs, and Richie smirked up at him. Richie touched the bulge over the underwear, making Eddie hiss. Richie bent down to kiss Eddie’s cock with just the fabric between them. 

“Rich,” Eddie gasped. “Touch me. Please.”

Richie pulled down the boxer briefs and held Eddie with both his hands. Eddie shut his eyes and bit his lip as Richie stroked him slow but purposefully. Richie continued the motion until he couldn’t wait anymore, and then he took him in his mouth. Eddie let out a sharp gasp, and then his hand was on Richie’s hair, holding him gently down. Richie sucked in his cheeks, making it good for Eddie. He could taste the precome already. Eddie was breathing hard, and then he started moving his hips. Richie held him tight to control the movements, but then they were moving in rhythm, Richie sucking him long and hard. 

It didn’t take long for Eddie to come, and even though he gave Richie a warning, he didn’t move. Instead, he swallowed the come that spilled into his mouth. Then Eddie pulled him up and kissed him until they both had to pull away to breathe. 

“That was...amazing,” Eddie said, breathing hard. 

Richie let out a soft chuckle, kissing Eddie’s forehead before rolling off of him. 

Eddie’s hand didn’t waste any time as it moved to Richie’s crotch, cupping him over the jeans. “Your turn.”

“You don’t have to.”

“Let me touch you too.”

“But you’ve never…”

“I’ll take it slow. I’ll go at my pace.”

Richie nodded. 

Eddie knelt between Richie’s knees, yanking down his pants and underwear altogether. Then he grabbed his cock with one hand and stroked him fast. 

Richie yelped, taking hold of Eddie’s wrist. “Slow down, babe. There’s no rush.”

Eddie nodded, and then he slowed his pace, giving Richie delicious long strokes. Richie bucked his hips as Eddie held him. Then Eddie was gone, digging for something in his nightstand drawer. When we returned, he had a bottle of lube in his hands. “I thought we could use this.”

“You really did your research, didn’t you?”

“Of course I did. Who do you think I am?”

Richie laughed. But then, things weren’t so funny when Eddie spread his legs and entered his index finger in his asshole. Richie gasped, hands gripping the covers. “Holy shit. I should have seen that one coming.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you not like that?”

“No, no, I do. But a heads up would have been nice.”

Eddie winced. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. That feels so good. Add one more.”

Eddie did, adding his middle finger next. He watched attentively, taking in all of Richie’s reactions, like he was memorizing them or storing them for later. Eddie moved his fingers in and out of Richie while stroking him with his other hand. Richie knew he wouldn’t be much longer if Eddie kept this up. 

“I love the way you bite your lip every time I go in,” Eddie said. 

Richie hadn’t noticed he’d been doing that. He was about to reply when Eddie reached his prostate with his fingers. Richie yelled this time. “Aw fuck, keep going, babe.”

“I can’t believe I’m good at this.”

“Shut up and add another finger.”

“Yes, sir.” Eddie added a third finger, and Richie didn’t make it more than a few other strokes before he was coming. 

Eddie kissed him through his orgasm, and then fell on top of him, holding his close. “We’re both completely splattered in semen, but I don’t want to move.”

“That’s love.”

Eddie laughed. “That was great, you know. Better than I had imagined.”

“Next time, you can get inside me. If you want.”

“Really?” Eddie looked at him, like he couldn’t believe what Richie had said.

“Yeah. I’m versatile. Just let me know what you want, and we'll do it.”

“You mean, you can top or bottom?”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to try both. Just to test out the waters.”

Richie grinned. “Sounds good. We’ll do that.”

“I love you, Richie.”

“Love you too.”

They fell asleep for a few minutes before Eddie had had enough and decided to clean them both up of the mess they’d created. 

*

On the morning of Richie’s birthday, he woke up at sunrise. Not on his own. Eddie woke him up by opening the curtains and letting in all the sunlight. Richie groaned, covering himself up with the blanket, but even that was rudely removed from him. 

“It’s my fucking birthday,” Richie said, grumpily. “Leave me alone.”

“I have a full schedule for us today. And it starts with breakfast in bed. So you have to get up and eat your damned breakfast.”

“Breakfast in bed?” Richie asked, opening up one of the eyes he had shut to ignore Eddie. And he saw that Eddie was holding a tray of something that smelled really good. He finally managed to sit up enough so Eddie could hand over the tray. There was a stack of chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and strawberries. Richie didn’t know what to say. No one had ever brought him breakfast in bed. Especially not on his birthday. 

“All it took was food to get you going,” Eddie said, rolling his eyes. “I should remember to lead with that next time.”

Richie bit down on a strawberry. “This is really nice. Thanks, babe.”

Eddie leaned down to kiss him. “Happy birthday, Richie.”

“What do you have planned for today? Please tell me it involves never leaving home.”

Eddie laughed. “Most of it involves never leaving home. But we do have to make one quick stop.”

Richie groaned. “Why?”

“Because we’re picking up your cake. The bakery is right next to this beautiful park and I thought we could go for a walk.”

“A walk? Am I suddenly a dog?”

“Rich, come on. It’ll be fun.”

“You know what’s fun? What we did last night. Twice.” They’d had a lot of fun switching in sex. Eddie had found he really liked to top, and Richie didn’t mind at all. But sometimes, Richie topped and Eddie was very enthusiastic about it. Richie just liked being with Eddie, in any way, shape, or form. 

“Yes, that was fun. But we can’t just stay home all day having sex. We have a lot to do today.”

“We could do those things tomorrow.”

“You are so fucking stubborn, Richie Tozier.”

Richie kissed him. “I just want you all to myself.”

Eddie kissed him back, and then the quick pecks had become deep, tongue kisses that had them both moving closer, eager to grab at each other. But before Richie could pull Eddie back in bed, Eddie pulled away. “Wow, you are a real menace. Stop sticking your tongue in my mouth. I’m only human. I can’t resist you all the time.”

Richie grinned smugly. “So don’t resist. Get in bed.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows. “Finish your breakfast. I’m gonna go to the living room because you’re making it impossible for me to stay in the room.”

Richie blew him a kiss and Eddie shook his head, rushing out the door. Richie laughed, biting into another strawberry. 

*

They went to pick up the cake. 

But first, they went for a walk at the park Eddie had mentioned. It was a nice day, so Richie didn’t make a big fuss about it. Walking was kind of nice. But it was even nicer when Eddie held his hand as they walked.

“It feels like we’re in high school,” Richie said. 

“Well, we could never do this in high school. We should have. But we didn’t.”

Richie looked at him. “I didn’t know you liked me back then. If I had, I would have made a move. Or something.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Or something?”

“I would have held your hand, just like this.” Richie squeezed Eddie’s hand. “I would have asked you out on a real date. I would have kissed you for the first time in my life, and it would have actually meant something. There’s so much I wish we could have done.”

“There’s no point in thinking like that. We’re here now. That’s what counts.”

“This is the best birthday I’ve ever had.”

Eddie grinned. “I’m so glad you said that. But you still haven’t seen your surprise.”

“It’s not a party, is it?”

“No. I know how much you would have hated that.”

“Thank God.”

Eddie kissed his cheek. “Let’s go get your cake.”

Richie’s cake was chocolate with vanilla ice cream, and it had a picture of him as a kid with a birthday hat. That must have been from when he turned 12. He couldn’t believe Eddie had that picture after all these years. 

“Do you like it?” Eddie asked. 

“I really do. Where the hell did you find that picture?”

Eddie shrugged. “I have a lot of pictures of us from when we were kids. It’s the only thing I’ve kept from those years. Most of them are of you. I wasn’t very good at hiding my crush.”

Richie hugged Eddie. “You’re amazing.”

“I know, I know. We gotta get your cake home before it melts.”

“Oh, right.”

When they got home, Eddie put the cake in the freezer while he cooked a fancy dinner. This time, he didn’t have Richie help him out since it was his birthday. “It’s the only time I’ll let you take the day off from being my cooking assistant,” he’d said. 

So, while Eddie cooked, Richie watched comedy specials on TV. John Mulaney was hilarious. Richie had met him a few times. The guy was funny outside of his specials too, which was saying a lot. 

“Dinner’s ready,” Eddie called from the table. 

Richie turned off the TV and went over to the table. Eddie had placed flowers on a vase as the centerpiece, and the food smelled delicious. It looked straight out of a cookbook, with garnish and everything. Richie had been alone for most of his adult life. He’d never had anyone take care of him the way Eddie did. Richie was speechless as he stood in front of the table, wondering what he did to deserve this treatment. 

“I know what you’re thinking. But this isn’t your surprise.”

Richie gaped at him. “How is this not a surprise? It’s romantic as fuck.”

“Thank you. Sit down.”

They sat down across from each other as Eddie poured then both wine. 

“You know, I’ve never considered myself to be romantic,” Eddie said. 

“Me neither. At all.”

“Yeah, I know. But you inspire me to be this way.”

“I feel like I should step up my game.”

Eddie laughed. “I like taking care of you. It makes me feel good. I love seeing your goofy smile every time I do something slightly romantic.”

“Well, you tend to do a lot of those things.”

They ate in comfortable silence, mostly just commenting on the food, which was somehow better than Richie had imagined. They talked about their plans for the next day. They wanted to go back to the farmer’s market. It occurred to Richie that this was his life now. Living with his boyfriend in domestic bliss. This was his reality. For the first time in a long time, getting older didn’t bother him at all. Not when his future seemed so incredible. 

They ate ice cream cake after dinner on the couch, but Eddie cut the John Mulaney special short by putting in his flash drive and playing a video. 

“Babe, come on, it’s John Mulaney.”

“This is your surprise,” Eddie said.

The video started with Eddie standing on the balcony, recording himself. 

“Hi, Richie,” Eddie said. “You’re currently in the shower, so I finally had time to record this. You have been all over me lately, and it’s been really hard to find the time for this. But now the time is here. I just wanted to wish you an amazing birthday, and to tell you that I love you. Rich, you make my days brighter and better. I never thought I’d get so lucky. I’m so glad I decided to take a vacation here with you, and then decided to never leave. You’re stuck with me, babe. But I’m not the only one who has something to say to you today.” Eddie winked. “I hope you like this.”

Richie turned to Eddie, jaw dropping. “What is this?”

“Keep watching,” Eddie said. 

The next person on the screen was Bill. It looked like he was in his home office. “Hey there, Richie! I hope you’re doing great. Eddie tells me you two have been getting a little friendlier than usual. Congrats, man. I love that you’re together and not all mopey anymore. You know I love you, and I hope you have the best birthday ever. I hope I get to see you guys soon. Take care!”

Richie laughed. “You told Bill?”

“I told everyone,” Eddie said. 

Then Ben and Beverly were on the screen, in a fancy looking living room. “Hi, Richie!” Ben said. “Happy birthday!” they said together. 

“When we heard that Eddie has been living with you for the past few weeks, it all made so much sense,” Beverly said. “I’m so glad you found your match, Richie. I’ve really missed you guys. Ben and I were watching one of your comedy specials the other night, and I just really wanted to have a beer with you. Let’s get together soon. We could double date.”

Then Ben said, “Seriously, guys, that would be so great. I’m so happy you two are together. Richie, I probably shouldn’t be telling you this, but when Eddie called us, he went on about all his favorite things about you for, like, an hour.” Ben laughed. “I wish you both the best. We love you.”

“Bye, guys!” Beverly said. 

Smiling, Richie shook his head. “You really did tell everyone.”

“I’m not even sorry,” Eddie said. 

Then it was Mike on the screen. He was in his bedroom. “Hello, Richie. I was very glad to hear from Eddie. He told me he was putting together a birthday surprise for you because, apparently, the two of you are now living together. I should have seen this coming. Anyway, have the happiest of birthdays, Richie. I wish you a long life full of love and happiness. Please, take care of each other. You two are very important to me, and I hope we can see each other again soon. Keep in touch. Goodbye.”

Richie turned to Eddie. He knew he was smiling because his cheeks fucking hurt from how long he’d been doing it. But he couldn’t stop. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“Did you like it?”

“I loved it. I didn’t think I’d get to hear from the old gang on my birthday.”

“They were all very excited when I called them.”

Richie kissed Eddie. “Thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I just wanted to surprise you. We can keep watching John Mulaney now.” Eddie leaned his head on Richie’s shoulder and switched the screen back to the comedy special. 

This was the best birthday Richie had ever had. 

*

**27 Years Earlier**

Richie and Eddie walked out of the corner convenience store and went to sit on the sidewalk. Eddie cracked open his can of Coke, and Richie opened up his pink roll of Hubba Bubba bubble tape bubblegum. 

“Want some?” Richie offered the stick to Eddie, who cut himself a piece. 

Eddie offered Richie his Coke, and Richie took a sip before he started chewing on his gum. Eddie bumped his shoulder against Richie’s. “I’m so ready for the summer. Think of all the things we’ll do.”

“I’ll probably bang a bunch of chicks. The usual.”

Eddie laughed. “Shut your fucking face.”

“I’ll start with your mom.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “So funny. You’re the funniest guy in the world. You should be a comedian.”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll get rich off of my jokes. Everyone will love me.”

“Oh God, what have I done?”

Richie smiled. “You’re the reason I’ll be a famous comedian one day.”

“No!!! I might be able to put up with your shit, but no one else will. I’m stuck with you.”

Richie got quiet all of a sudden. He bumped his arm against Eddie’s. “Yeah, you’re stuck with me for life, Eds. Hope you’re ready for a lifetime of jokes.”

“We’re stuck like bubblegum,” Eddie said, smiling like he was so proud of his analogy.

“What the fuck does that even mean? Bubblegum isn’t stuck to anything.”

“Yes it is!” Eddie took out his stick of bubblegum from his mouth, threw it on the floor, and stepped on it. “See? Now I got bubblegum on my shoe. That’s you and me. I’m the shoe, you’re the bubblegum. And you’re a huge pain in the ass.”

“But you love me, don’t lie.”

Eddie took off his shoe, trying to get the bubblegum off of the bottom of it. “That’s true. I wouldn’t put up with gum in my shoe for anyone else.”

Richie grinned. He held out the Hubba Bubba to Eddie again, and Eddie grabbed another piece. “Stuck like bubblegum on your shoe. Oh, the things I’ll see.”

“We’ll travel the whole world,” Eddie said, raising his eyebrows the way he did whenever he had a brilliant idea. “We’ll go to Australia, England, France, China, Russia, India, Brazil, Argentina. We’ll go everywhere.”

Richie wasn’t sure if he believed him. The idea of getting out of Derry was the only thing keeping him going. But he hadn’t realized Eddie wanted to leave too. To travel all over the world. With him. “You really wanna go to all those places?”

Eddie blinked. “Well, yeah. We should go to all those places together. There’s gotta be way better places than Derry.”

“Together?”

“Stuck like bubblegum, remember? It’s you and me forever, Rich.”

Richie chewed on his gum, imagining all of the adventures they could have. Together. “I can’t wait, Eds.”


End file.
